Displaced
by svenjen
Summary: Their pilot was dead! No one knew were they were. All alone in a tropical paradise, they supposedly hated each other. Chuck and Blair with Nate and Serena to boot. Based on end of Season 2 with changes. Rated M/A for language and smut.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gossip Girl, the characters or anything but the thoughts in my head…..This story is purely for entertainment purposes.

**Summary:**

This story takes place at the end of Season 2 with a few significant changes. **These are imperative** to keep in the back of your mind in order for this story to work. The scenario is as follows:

Serena stayed in the Hampton's for the summer in her grandmother's summerhouse.

Nate left Vanessa in Guam or some such place because he realised she really was trash and he couldn't ever possibly love her.

Chuck never came back to say the 8 letters 3 words to Blair, although he desperately wanted to. He was too afraid she'd reject him after the last time he'd hurt her. So when he did return, he was too embarrassed about his behaviour to face Blair. He finally just went to the Hampton's to hang out with Nate and Serena. He told Lily he intended beginning to work at Bass Industries in the fall.

Except for 2 quick weeks with her father and Roman in France, Blair remained in the UES…. mostly alone except for the odd weekend where she'd go to see Serena.

**XOXO**

**Prelude:**

In late July, Serena and Nate were getting tired of the distance between Chuck and Blair. They decided that they needed to reunite the NJBC and they arranged for all four of them to take a trip together. They flew to Hawaii where Nate's grandfather owned a lovely house on a private estate on Big Island. Despite their best efforts however, Chuck and Blair insisted on avoiding each other whenever possible. It wasn't difficult to do in such a place where parties, activities and shopping were easy methods of keeping one's distance.

A week before they were to head back to New York, Nate and Serena had an idea. Nate contacted an old friend of his grandfather who operated a helicopter tour agency on the island. He arranged for the four of them to be dropped on an isolated island for a few days of camping. Nate figured that once the touristy distractions were removed, Chuck and Blair would have little alternative but to finally talk together and hopefully resolve their issues. The pilot was to pack up the camping supplies for them and choose an island. Neither Chuck nor Blair was aware of the real plan where camping was involved, but were happy to hear they would spend their final week on a different island.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 1**

It was a beautiful Saturday morning when Stacy Grant's chopper left to pick up the 4 kids and head out. He hadn't been feeling particularly well that morning, but tossed it up to eating his eggs more runny than usual. The heartburn and nausea were likely a result of his breakfast choice. No big deal. He popped a couple of Tums and loaded up the supplies he'd arranged the previous evening. He insisted on doing this job himself as a favour to the grandson of a long-time friend.

Stacy had chosen a beautiful spot for the kids to go to a couple of hundred miles west of the familiar Hawaiian chain of islands. This was an uncharted island with an abundance of plant and wildlife with easy access to fresh water pools. It was dotted with caves, and empty lava domes. It would be fairly safe with lots to do. Most of all, it was totally uninhabited and far away from the major chain. He would leave the kids there for one week and pick them up on the following Saturday morning to get them back to the airport on Big Island where the Bass jet would take them home. This is specifically what Nate had requested, and Stacy aimed to keep his old friend's grandson happy.

The kids seemed excited to be in the private chopper with Stacy. He filled them in on a little history of the islands. He told them the island they were going to was a place he had discovered by accident. It had fantastic fishing and hunting and had been named Little Paradise by his late wife. He assured them they would love it. He himself had spent time there alone on occasion, just to relax.

Just before noon he landed the chopper on the beach. He began unloading the supplies and luggage for the kids, then popped back into the bird and announced that he'd pick them up the same time next Saturday. He waved goodbye and flew off.

Nate and Serena waved goodbye as the elderly gentleman rose into the sky. Chuck and Blair were confused and looked in disbelief at their seemingly brain-dead friends. What the hell was going on? How odd to get dropped off on a deserted beach. They both wondered where the limo or taxi was that would take them to their hotel. And why was all this crap left here with them?

"Ah, Nate," Chuck inquired, "What the hell is going on?"

"We're going camping!" Nate replied with a goofy grin on his face.

"Surprise!" yelled Serena.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" exclaimed Blair. "I do not camp!"

"Besides," added Chuck, "Where exactly is the campground from here?"

"That's the beauty of this place," expressed Nate, "There is no campground. It's just us…. and we're going to rough it!"

"You are an idiot!" yelled Blair. "Get that pilot back here now! I am not staying here in the wild for an entire week"

"Well, there's no way to get him back now," Nate informed them, "So yes we are going to be staying here. Besides, it'll be fun!"

"Right, Nate," chimed Serena, "It'll be fun, just like back in elementary school when we all went on the grade 6 camping trip. Remember B?"

"Oh, I remember that trip Serena! Do you not remember how much I hated it?" Blair asked. "The cabins were disgusting. The outhouses made me sick. The food was deplorable. The bugs were horrendous. I hated that trip. Why would you have thought I'd ever agree to go camping again?" She sat down in the sand in a huff.

"Well B, this was the only way Nate and I could think of getting you guys to talk again. We tried everything else on Big Island, but there were just too many distractions to encourage you to spend time together. We only have a week left, we had to do something," Serena explained.

"Wouldn't handcuffing us together have been easier?" she yelled.

Blair looked at all three of her friends and started to cry, "I want to go home!"

"You two are fucking morons!" Chuck informed them. "I have to agree with Blair on this one. I want to go home too." He moved over to Blair and sat down beside her in the sand. "Just where are the cabins? I need to lie down."

"Umm, there are no cabins Chuck," Nate informed them, "We only have whatever supplies Stacy left for us. But I'm pretty sure we have tents!"

"We're all going to die!" Blair wailed.

**XOXO**

Stacy was feeling terribly nauseous. It had progressed substantially after dropping the kids off. Dam, he hoped he wasn't getting that crazy flue people were all paranoid over. He'd had a flue shot that spring! He was about 20 minutes off of Big Island when he began to experience a headache. His eyes soon began to blur. This wasn't good. He started to reach for his radio to let the flight center know he was in trouble when the clot burst in his brain. The chopper hit the water within moments after. At that point it didn't really matter. He was already dead before it crashed.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 2**

Nate was mad! He'd been struggling with the tent for over an hour and Chuck refused to help him. "Come on, man!" he exclaimed in frustration. "I get that you're pissed off at me, ok? But not helping with this tent isn't funny! If we don't get it set up, we're all going to have to sleep out under the stars. I don't mind it, but I think you'd freak out if a snake curled up under you looking for warmth!"

At the mention of the word snake, Chuck was up and ready to help Nate. He did not do snakes. The boys fiddled with the poles of the first larger tent, trying to follow the directions that were included. "You almost need an Engineer's degree to construct this thing," he growled as he watched the lopsided mass of bamboo poles fall apart once again.

"OMG are you telling me there are snakes here?" Blair whined. She did snakes about as well as Chuck did.

"B, put on your sneakers and come and help me gather some wood for a fire," Serena stated to her friend with a laugh. "I doubt if anything slimy is going to attack either you or Chuck. Besides, we need to get a fire going and gather enough wood for the night."

Blair reluctantly slipped off her heals and walked over to the suitcases. She pulled on her tennis shoes and begrudgingly tucked her fashionable heals back in her bag. There would be little opportunity for style on this trip. She was grateful she had brought along some of her favourite active wear outfits for a change. It would be more comfortable wearing them than party dresses out here.

The girls wandered down the beach to begin to gather driftwood. After several trips back to dump their findings in a pile, Nate suggested they go into the bush and get some heavier wood. Driftwood, he explained to them, burned too quickly.

They began to follow a small trail into the trees, Nate told them it was a game trail, to begin their search. They spotted a fallen tree and began to tear the larger branches off of it to haul back to the camp.

"Argh!" Blair cried, "This is ruining my nails Serena!"

"Oh, come on B, Cheer up! This is going to be fun! Think of what a good opportunity this is to get us all close again! Especially you and Chuck! Nate and I have been worried all summer that you were never going to be friends again," she replied.

"I don't think he wants to be friends again S," she commented. "He's barely even able to hold a conversation with me for more than a minute. He must really hate me for me sleeping with Jack. He doesn't even know the whole story behind it! And I'm still so embarrassed about telling him how much I love him again," Blair huffed as she tore a huge limb off the trunk of the rotting tree.

She was dragging the chunk to the pile they'd made in the middle of the path when she noticed a large furry grey spider scoot up her arm. "Ahhhhhhhh!" she screamed, "Spider! Help S. Get it off of me!" she wailed, dropping the branch and jumping round trying to swat at the startled thing on her arm.

But the spider was quicker than her and soon leapt onto her dress. Blair screamed in earnest as it ran up towards her neck and she lost sight of it. Frantically she tore off her dress and began slapping at her neck and hair attempting to rid herself of the vile thing.

Moments later both Nate and Chuck appeared running up the path, horrified that the girls were being attacked by God only knows what. They stopped short when they witnessed a half naked Blair dancing around, slapping herself while she squealed about a spider.

"I think its gone, B." Serena insisted to her nearly hysterical friend, trying not to laugh at her.

Blair stopped dancing around and instinctively ran over to Chuck, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she sobbed into his neck.

Nate couldn't help himself. This was way too funny not to exploit. He just had to make this situation worse. "Oh, look," he exclaimed as he pointed to Chuck's back, "Now it's on Chuck!"

This was too much for Blair to handle. She screamed loud in Chuck's ear at the exact moment he shoved her off of him and ripped his shirt off. Both were immediately dancing around screaming and trying to squash imaginary bugs.

Nate doubled over with laughter, tears pooling in his eyes.

"You are a fucking jerk, Nathanial!" Chuck stated as he quickly grabbed Blair's hand and led her down the path back towards the beach.

"Nate that was mean," Serena commented as she began to gather wood from their pile to take back to camp.

"Maybe," he replied with a big grin on his face, "but at least they left here together!"

**XOXO**

Chuck added some slivers of wood to the small fire he had burning in the pit that he and Nate had dug earlier that afternoon. It had been easy to start with the shredded coconut husks on the ground and a lighter he took from one of the supply boxes that Stacy had left them.

Neither he nor Blair was talking to Nate and Serena. They were still pissed off over the spider incident earlier. Chuck was kind of glad it had happened though. It seemed to have broken the ice a little for he and Blair. He'd been thrilled when she ran to him for comfort in the trees. Although, thanks to Nate, it was short lived. They had hung out together for the rest of the afternoon, although not really speaking much yet. He was hopeful it would continue.

They'd spent the last hour together finishing setting up the two tents while Nate and Serena continued to gather wood. Nate had insisted they put the tents closer to the trees, for both shade and protection from the tides. Blair was horrified that they'd be attacked by spiders that close to the bush. But Serena insisted that Nate knew what he was talking about. His family had often camped. He was a fairly experienced camper and an avid outdoor enthusiast, unlike most of his UES friends.

Blair had set up the sleeping areas and organised their supplies in a small clearing beside their tents. She'd also set up the girl's makeshift bathroom down a path on the left side of the game trail, while Chuck set up the boy's bathroom area on the right side. Neither was appreciating the idea of the toilet trenches, but had little choice in the matter. Stacy had left specific instructions on how to set the toilet areas up. Both found it appalling and Blair longed for those disgusting outhouses of her elementary school trip that she'd complained about earlier. The thought of hovering over a hole was not a very civilized practice, she thought with disgust. Thankfully, Stacy had packed plenty of toilet tissue. At least they wouldn't have to use leaves!

She'd cut her nails off soon after returning to camp with Chuck after the spider incident. She realized that keeping them long on this camping trip was unlikely. She'd rather cut them short now than tear them off accidentally hauling wood or digging holes. She was totally pissed off at Serena and Nate for putting her through this ordeal, although she had to admit, she felt closer to Chuck now than she had for sometime.

She watched him stoke the fire and set up the grilling rack to prepare for their BBQ. She was famished! The hard physical labour that afternoon had worn her right out. It was a better workout than her aerobics class at the gym or a game of squash was.

Soon Serena and Nate returned with their last armful of firewood and announced they were going to cool off with a swim. They invited Chuck and Blair to join them.

"No thanks," Chuck replied to their request, "I'm done with both of you for today."

"That goes for me too, Nate!" Blair exclaimed as she brought over the steaks and potatoes from one of the coolers Stacy had provided them. "Besides, who's going to cook dinner if we're all out swimming?"

"Suit yourselves," Serena stated as she disappeared behind the tarp curtain that they'd set up earlier for changing. She soon emerged in a striking blue bikini and announced, "But I'm going in."

Nate's eyes almost popped out of his head and he immediately caught his breath when he saw Serena emerge from the changing area. It was obvious he thought she looked pretty hot in her bikini. He quickly went and changed into swim trunks and followed her into the water, almost panting behind her.

"Nate's a goner!" Chuck expressed with a chuckle as he watched his friend's reaction to Serena.

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious with those two isn't it?" Blair agreed. "I wonder if they'll finally hook up on this little excursion of theirs?"

In their minds, it didn't take much for either of them to quickly apply that statement to their own situation as well. Both blushed and looked away from each other at that point. Chuck busied himself with the steaks and Blair went to make some juice with the water they'd collected and boiled earlier. Sighing to herself, she thought this was bound to be a long week.

The sun was soon setting after the kids had enjoyed a delicious steak and potato dinner, accompanied with the few clams and a crab that Serena and Nate gathered after swimming. Blair and Serena cleaned up the dishes while the boys built up the bonfire. The four sat quietly on a blanket near their fire, watching the beautiful sun setting over the ocean.

"I've watched so many sunrises," Chuck commented, "It's finally nice to see where it sets for a change."

"It certainly is beautiful," Blair agreed, "But it kind of makes me feel rather alone, almost empty watching it disappear like that," she added with a sigh.

Chuck shivered at her words and scooted over a little closer until he was sitting directly beside her. "You're not alone, Blair," he quietly added.

Nate and Serena gave each other a knowing glance and announced they were going for a walk down the beach. They quickly got up and headed off, holding hands. Neither had invited their other friends along.

"They are so going to hook up!" Blair commented as she watched the two disappear down the darkened beach.

"Well that and I believe they want us to talk," Chuck added as he turned to look directly at Blair.

OMG, Blair thought with a gulp as she asked, "About what?"

"About us," he stated.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 3**

Blair was horrified. "I kind of like that we can at least tolerate each other's presence right now," she whined. "Do we have to push it any further by talking?"

Chuck shook his head at her and offered her a sad smile. "You know we eventually have to talk about things, Blair. This situation is ok, but it's not us. We're still both pretty guarded around each other. I want us to be able to be …, ah … to be friends again."

"Friends…..," Blair repeated.

"Well, it would be a start. I appreciate you're never going to want to take it further than that again," he added with another sad smile. "I mean, I pretty well blew that!"

"Chuck….," Blair started.

"What?" he asked.

"Just don't go there, ok? You're the one with the issues about us. I was never afraid of taking it further. I was just never enough for you. And then, after you found out about Jack….,," she stopped as her voice began to crack and tears started to run down her face. "You have no fucking idea what I went through for you! I can't do this again. God, just get me out of here!" she sobbed. She quickly got up and went into the smaller of the two tents.

Chuck was dumbstruck. That certainly didn't go as he'd hoped it would. And what the hell did she mean by she wasn't ever enough for him? He agreed he'd put her through hell for sure…. but she was way off base with this. And, he thought, what did she mean she wasn't afraid of taking it further? Did that mean he still had a chance with her?

He was so confused he had no idea what to do next. He certainly wasn't going to go into the tent with her sobbing like that. Even though all he wanted to do was put his arms around her to console her, he felt that he needed to give her a few moments to settle down. Besides, his heart was racing so fast, he needed a few moments too. It was about then that he decided to go and get a bottle of scotch he had stashed in his suitcase. Boy, did he ever need a drink right now!

Blair was mad! That Basshole was going to make her have a nervous breakdown. She was angry he brought up the past. The last thing she wanted was a reminder of how he left her after she told him how much she loved him last year, or how she slept with his nasty-ass uncle to save his skin. She gave herself a few moments to calm down then decided what she really wanted was a quick swim to clear her mind and clean off her body. She left the tent and went to get her swimming suit from her suitcase. She noticed Chuck sitting with a flask in his hand. She shook her head thinking it pathetic how he always turned to liquor when things got tough.

She slid out of her dirty dress and slipped the beautiful scarlet bikini on and then grabbed her shampoo accessories and a towel. She stomped past Chuck without a word and headed up the game trail to the freshwater stream. Stacy had left notes saying they could bath in the lower parts of the stream as the water was emptying out to sea. She slipped into the cool water with a sigh, leaving her shampoo stuff on a large flat rock on the side of the stream.

It wasn't a deep or an incredibly fast stream, but it was deep enough to allow for a good soak and fast enough to gently massage the skin. She sighed as the water ran over her neck and back. She lowered her head and began to wash and condition her hair. She then took soap and lathered herself all over, feeling almost giddy at the sensation of being clean once again. Once cleaned, she just lowered herself back into the refreshing coolness to relax, not noticing that Chuck had joined her upstream.

He'd been watching her from the brush while she performed her cleansing ritual. He'd always been fascinated by this routine of hers. In the dwindling evening light among the trees, her silhouette was almost ethereal. She simply took his breath away, she was that beautiful, he thought. Fearful of being labelled the stalker that he knew he really was, he finally decided to join her in the water. He slipped out of his shorts and shoes, and dipped in upstream clad only in his boxers. He allowed the flow of the stream to carry his body close to hers before he spoke, "Mind if I borrow your soap?" he asked, interrupting her tranquility.

Blair startled and slipped under the water, coming up choking and gasping for air. "Don't sneak up on people like that, you Basshole!" she stated, "You scared the crap out of me!" She scooted a little further ahead, totally aware that he was right behind her. She didn't trust herself to be that close to him, especially not when they were both clad in next to nothing.

"Help yourself," she replied snidely, "I'm pretty well done here." She began to stand, intending to leave when he reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her back down into the water.

"Please don't leave yet, he asked.

"Why should I stay Chuck?" she asked turning back to face him.

He was barely inches away from her. She caught her breath when her eyes met his. He reached up to touch her face and he brushed a wet lock of her hair behind her ear. The intimate gesture made her gasp.

"Because I upset you earlier and I want to apologise for scaring you and upsetting you again tonight, and…, and for everything else too. I … I …," he stuttered, "I never meant to hurt you again so badly. I was a coward for running away from you last spring. I wasn't ready to deal with the Jack thing and then you told me how you felt about me, and it was more than I could handle. It scared me! So I behaved poorly, even for me! And it hurt you. I really am sorry," he stated.

"But Blair," he continued, "You commented tonight that you were never enough for me. Let me be clear about this once and for all. That was never true. You're perfect. Always were and still are. I'm the let down. Always was, and obviously still am." He sighed as he shook his head and reached back over to the flat rock for the soap.

"Stop it Chuck!" she blurted, "We've been there and done that how many times before. You need to stop tearing yourself apart. You are not a let down, ok? Let's face it; we're both just too fucked up to deal with each other!"

With that being said, she pulled her body out of the water and grabbed her towel and shampoo case. After slipping her flip flops on, she stormed through the trees and headed back to camp, stopping briefly at the girl's toilet area for a quick pee. After drying herself and brushing out her hair, she brushed her teeth and slipped into a set of baby doll pyjamas. She had just crawled into the tent when she heard voices coming up the beach.

Blair lay on the sleeping bag and tried to listen for a moment to Serena and Nate talking. She didn't want to intrude, but needed to get an idea of what was going on. By their noises and giggles, it was more than obvious that Serena and Nate were being romantic.

She then heard the larger tent getting unzipped and a comment of, "Awesome, it's empty!" coming from Nate. It was more than obvious that the two of them were fooling around. Just great, she thought. If they chose to spend the night together, she'd be stuck in this tent with Chuck! She groaned in dismay at the thought of it.

About then she heard a soft knock on the tent flaps.

"I'm coming in Blair," Chuck whispered as he started unzipping the tent and quickly dove in. "OMG there's a big fucking moth or something flying around out there. It scared the shit out of me!" he stated."

"Arggh, get out, Bass! You're dripping wet on my sleeping bag!" Blair screeched.

"I'm not going out there again!" he blurted at her. "That thing is horrifying! "Turn your head a moment," he told her.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Just get out of my tent!"

"Fine, then don't turn your head," he responded as he slid his wet boxers off. He quickly unzipped the lower flap of the tent and tossed the offending garment out into the sand. He then got up on his knees- his wet, wrinkled and sandy bum in the air and started unzipping the bag beside Blair's. "Besides," he added, "if those two are doing what I think they're doing next door, then this is now OUR tent!"

Blair stared in utter disbelief at being mooned by a totally naked Chuck Bass. "You're absolutely heinous!" she yelled at him as she turned over to face the wall of the tent. "I am so hating this trip!" she bellowed so that all could hear her. "I am NOT happy about this at all!"

She was only answered by giggles from the neighbouring tent, and a chuckle from her new tent mate.

"Shut up Bass!" she warned as she tried to get comfortable on her air mattress. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

**XOXO**

The call came just after 6:00 AM on Sunday morning to the UES. Nate's mother had phoned Lily in hysterics informing the family of the accident. The pilot's body had finally been located, half eaten in shark-infested waters a few hundred metres from the helicopter. No other bodies were found. Serena's purse (she was always leaving it behind), a scarf belonging to Chuck, and a few other signs of the kids had been salvaged from the wreckage.

The families were informed they would continue to search for survivors for a few days, but they were given little hope. As none of the helicopter's emergency flotation pillows were missing, all were presumed dead. The sharks were really heavy in the area the chopper went down. If anyone had survived the horrific crash, the sharks would have taken them fast.

The flight center where Stacy worked had finally found information telling of Stacy's picking up the four kids from Nate's grandfather's estate on a notepad in his office. There was no mention of dropping anyone off anywhere, or a pick up date of the same group the following week. Because it had been a personal favour to a friend's grandson, Stacy hadn't bothered with the formal paperwork he usually filled out for his company. The flight center presumed the group was with Stacy on a private tour and had crashed. The ID card in Serena's purse confirmed the kids had been on board.

The story hit the news channels a short time later. As far as the world was concerned the UES had lost four of its best.

Meanwhile thousands of kilometres away, four sleeping teens had no idea that they were presumed dead in a watery grave.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 4**

Serena woke up happy and in love. She and Nate had had a wonderful and totally romantic evening together. They had made love several times despite the snide comments that would surface now and again from the other tent. Chuck and Blair just had no sense of romance or adventure!

She hustled out of the tent and gathered up supplies to go and wash in the stream. She intended on putting breakfast together for everyone early so they could go and explore the island. Stacy had put together a fantastic map with some great ideas for them to go and explore!

Soon Nate joined her in the stream for a wash too. He was ecstatic that he and Serena had finally paired up. After all he'd been in love with her for his whole life! It was about time they got together as a couple. The two enjoyed the refreshing water as they took the time to explore each other with soap and a luffa. It was a hell of a way to start the day, Nate thought enthusiastically!

Back at camp, Chuck began to stir awake. He was cold and had a cramp in his back from being more on the floor of the tent than on his air mattress. He realized he was not inside his sleeping bag at all, but was wrapped around Blair, who was zipped up tightly in her own bag. He grinned at the thought of how pissed off she'd be if she knew he was holding her…. and naked to boot. He cuddled a little closer to her, and felt his heart melt a little when she took the hand of the arm he had around her waist, held his hand, and sighed in her sleep. Carefully he placed a light kiss on the back of her neck and whispered, "I love you too," into her hair. He gently slipped his arm from around her waist and scooted to the edge of the tent, unzipping the flap and leaving. Being that close to Blair in his current state first thing in the morning was too tempting and more than a little uncomfortable. Besides, he needed to pee. Badly!

Just what the hell was that? Blair questioned. She had begun to stir when Chuck's arm tightened around her waist the first time. Still half asleep, she responded to his touch more asleep than awake until he kissed her neck. That woke her up fast. She was startled, yet pleasantly surprised until she heard the words he whispered into her hair. He loved her! OMG! What was she suppose to do with that? There, after all this time, finally were her eight letters, three words! And he said them while she was asleep! To her hair! She didn't know whether to be happy or angry with him. She let out a groan. The guy was a constant source of stress to her.

She heard him returning to the tent so she pretended to still be asleep. She knew she couldn't face him after that, and was sure he wouldn't be able to face her if she brought it up either!

He entered the tent clad now in a clean set of boxers. He adjusted his air mattress so it was right next to hers. He slipped into his bag to warm up a little, slowly curling himself back around her so as to not wake her up. He placed his arm gently around her waist, and held her hand while he carefully buried his face in her curls and breathed in the scent of her neck.

He knew she was awake when he felt the goose bumps rise on the back of her neck.

"Good morning Waldorf," he drawled. "I trust that you slept well."

"Just what gives you the idea that I want you molesting me in my sleep, Bass?" she asked, pulling her hand away from his and her body into the wall of the tent.

Chuck laughed a little and replied that they'd slept like that most of the night. "After all, that was how I woke up this morning," he informed her.

Blair huffed in response and hurried out of the tent to quickly get dressed. "Jerk!" she called him as she slipped on a pair of shorts and a halter top. That was a hell of a way to start the day, she thought!

After breakfast and a quick cleanup of the camp, the four decided to go and explore the island. The girls casually dressed in shorts and light shirts. The boys wore swim trunks. They all wore sturdy shoes for walking. Nate fashioned a few walking sticks for the group and they packed up some water, lunch, the girl's swimwear and a couple of towels, a knife and a few other supplies with them in a back pack to use for their day exploring.

According to the map Stacy had provided and the beautiful sunset they had watched directly in front of them last night, the kids were on the western side of the island. The map indicated the island was slightly horseshoe shaped, their beach being on the long end of one outer side. The map only showed a portion of the beach to explore. They figured the remaining parts were probably not hiker friendly, so they should just stay away from them.

The island was about 25 kilometres long and about as wide if you counted both sides of the horseshoe together. Behind the beach there were tropical forested areas, then rocky hills (from inactive volcanoes), some freshwater pools, a couple of waterfalls, and a few caves. There were a few patches of bamboo forest, and a few small lagoons further down the beach towards the south end of the island.

In particular there were two areas that really excited the kids. The goal for the day would be to hit those areas. The first area to explore was described by Stacy's map as The Lava Tube Slides. The second area was labelled as the Fruit Belt. They would hit that one last in order to gather some fruits for eating after lunch and some extra for later, just to munch on back at camp.

The kids began to hike down the beach for a few kilometres before turning onto a well used game trail heading inland. They saw a plethora of wildlife on the hike. They came across some small type of deer, rabbits, lizards, and some fast furry things that looked to like rats!

Blair was almost hysterical after a couple of hours from the numerous creatures and bugs that darted across their path without warning. She held onto Serena's arm for most of the hike, squeezing it tightly with every squeal she made. She held it together better than she could believe, just praying there wouldn't be any snakes! One of the strangest sightings, she noted, was a small flock of what appeared to be chickens roosting on the lower branches of a tree.

Nate explained to them that most of the islands had feral farm animals on them, often from ships that had sunk and from earlier tribes that had once farmed some of the islands. His grandfather had told him how he and Stacy used to hunt on some of these islands and often saw things like wild cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, turkeys and chickens, along with regular wild animals. The older gentleman had explained that there were some islands that had fields full of vegetables from old farm sites or just from seeds that blew in or were dropped by birds! Nate's friends were impressed with his historical and geographical knowledge of the area.

They finally reached an area after slowly climbing uphill, where there appeared to be a series of caverns and caves. Stacy had written that the caves up here were dark and dangerous, but the smaller open lava tubes were fun to slide on. The note from Stacy said to ride down on leaves, using them as toboggans.

They noticed some of the trees had old scars where large leaves had been cut. Using their knife, the kids cut a few of the massive leaves off and prepared to slide down the tubes.

Nate volunteered to go first. He sat on his leaf like a kid would on a winter crazy carpet, and held the stocky top tightly. When he was ready, he lifted his feet and began to slide rather quickly down the tube.

"Yeeee-haaaa!" he shouted as he flew down and around a curve and then out of sight. His hoots and laughter could be heard all the way down the tube. A few moments later he yelled, "That was awesome!" to his friends above.

Serena chose to go next. She enthusiastically shoved off and laughed aloud all the way down too. She then called for Blair to come next, but Blair was hesitant. She didn't want to look like a baby, but she was afraid. She hated the rides at fairgrounds and even the normal swings at parks freaked her out.

"What's the matter Waldorf?" Chuck asked with a smirk, "Are you chicken?"

"I am not a chicken," Blair stated, "but I hate rides. They make me nauseous," she added.

"I promise I'll come down right behind you," Chuck volunteered. "Or we can go together if you'd like.

"That might be ok," she agreed somewhat hesitantly. "Thanks, Bass," she added, grateful that he was actually being decent for once.

Blair got herself onto a leaf and then held on for dear life until Chuck slid on behind her. He tucked the top of his leaf up and made sure Blair had done the same thing. He held onto his with one hand while encircling Blair's waist with his other. When he was settled, he told her to let go.

Off they flew down the tube.

It was exhilarating! It was stimulating! It was absolutely fucking horrifying! Chuck hooted and laughed the whole way down while Blair screamed for dear life! He held onto her firmly for the entire ride knowing she was freaking out! She closed her eyes tightly and prayed not to vomit. When they reached the bottom, the momentum from Chuck's weight behind Blair pushed her forward into the sand where they both landed with a thud, rolling into a mass of arms and legs! Her body had landed almost under his, his hand had moved from her waist up in between her breasts. He wasn't quite groping her, but he may as well have been.

Nate and Serena howled with laughter watching the two spit sand out of their mouths and get untangled. It was hilarious! Chuck also continued laughing while Blair seethed in anger. She slapped Chuck's hands away and then shoved him out of her way.

"I am NEVER doing that again," she promised as she pushed Chuck's hand off from her waist. "Hands off" she snapped at him.

Once recovered, the group explored the area at the foot of the slides and found a lovely little pool at the foot of a small waterfall. They decided it was time for a swim before they had their picnic lunch.

"I need a swim," Blair announced as she grabbed her suit from the knapsack and headed behind a bush to change. "I have sand everywhere!"

"Need some help with that?" Chuck inquired with a smirk, his eyes burning into hers enough to make her blush deeply. She huffed and disappeared into the bush to change.

"Chuck!" snapped Serena, "Just let her be for awhile! God you're relentless!" she blurted as she grabbed her own suit and followed Blair behind the bush.

"Now, what would be the fun in that, sis?" he asked. "Blair knows I'm harmless."

"Right!" laughed Nate as he spread out the towels and took his shoes off. He and Chuck had worn their swim trunks in lieu of shorts for the hike, so after slipping out of their shirts they were ready to go. They both headed into the water and immediately began a water fight.

The girls chose a more civilized approach and headed for the opposite side of the pool once they'd changed. They tentatively stepped in and then swam into deeper water and over to the falls where they let the water rush over them in a cool shower. The boys soon joined them, diving from a short ledge and then popping up in front of them.

Serena giggled as Nate circled his arms around her and went in for the kiss. She responded with a giggle as they openly snogged in front of their friends.

"Awkward much?" Blair sneered and looked away, embarrassed. "God, it's not like we didn't get enough of a play by play last night!" she added.

"Ah, you're just jealous B," laughed Nate. "You two feel free to join in if you wish," he added as he continued to wrestle tongues with his girlfriend.

"Ah, I'm game if you a….." Chuck began as he looked over at Blair, who immediately blushed the same scarlet shade as her bikini.

"Over my dead body!" she interrupted before he could finish.

"I have experimented with just about everything sexual," he countered, "But even Chuck Bass doesn't do necrophilia!"

"You are so gross, it's disgusting!" Blair snapped as she splashed him in the face. Then, realising this would just egg him on; she squealed and tried to swim away from him in earnest. She knew he'd retaliate.

Sure enough as she paddled away, Chuck dove under the water, swam beneath her, and came up on her other side, face to face. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, pretending to want to dunk her under.

"Ahhhh! Chuck! Let go!" she yelled, laughing at him. "Please? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have splashed you. Please don't drown me," she begged, wiggling around trying to free herself from his grasp. He was like an octopus!

But Chuck refused to let her go. Instead he held her even closer, his mouth gently brushing against her ear.

"What's it worth to you, Waldorf?" he drawled sensually making her body practically melt and a slight groan escape her mouth against her will.

She lifted her head to face him. "Chuck," she whispered and she looked deep into his dark amber eyes, her mouth so close to his. "You know we shouldn't…."

Her eyes held him captive, their hold on him even tighter than his arms were around her waist. His heart was beating so fast, he thought it could have been a jungle drum. His hands gently slid up her back and he slowly pulled her even closer to him.

"We shouldn't what….?" he began as he delicately bit her bottom lip, and then carefully drew it into his eager mouth.

Her gasp was lost in his kiss. His sensual mouth caressed her starving one, feeding it the care and tenderness she'd been aching for, for months. She let out another groan, this one deeper, causing both their bodies to clench with desire.

Her hands slid up his chest to cup his face, while her lips devoured his. His hands caressed her body, reclaiming territory with every stroke. When they finally broke for air, he laid his forehead against hers and whispered, "I've missed you," to her.

Blair's heart was aching and a tear slid down her cheek as she replied back, "I missed you too."

Nate and Serena just gawked at their two friends after witnessing such an intimate scene.

"Wow!" Serena stated, "That was pretty intense!"

**Chapter 5**

Besides that one intense kiss at the pool by the waterfall that afternoon, there had been no more romance between Chuck and Blair. Despite how she really felt, Blair stayed as far away from him as she could, knowing her heart couldn't handle him letting her down again.

The four had spent most of the afternoon at the lava tubes. The boys in particular enjoyed the slides, although Serena went a few more times as well. Blair, predictably, stuck to her guns and refused to go again. She spent her time sunbathing at the pool and watching the others enjoy themselves.

On their way back to their home camp, they stopped at the area Stacy indicated was rich with fruits. It was in a semi-depressed area heading back down toward the sea, almost resembling a valley. The area stretched on in pockets of trees for just under a square kilometre. The bounty that greeted them was indeed awe-inspiring! The ancient and overgrown mixed orchard had been farmed centuries before, and offered an array of produce to the kids.

They had their choice of familiar favourites including: guava, passion fruit, bananas, mangos, papayas, and a few others none could identify. Nate pointed out mounds of pineapple spikes indicating rich fruit underneath the volcanic rich soil, and showed them how to twist the breadfruits off of their trees. He explained when under ripe, these were bland and starchy-like (good for thickening foods), but when really ripe, they were sweet and custardy and almost as good as pudding. These, he informed them, were his favourites!

The kids stuffed themselves with fresh organic fruits. They used the knapsack to bring back some for later, promising they would definitely go again later in the week to stock up. Chuck proudly carried a large bunch of the smallest bananas he'd ever seen before back to camp. Nate and Serena hauled a few pineapples each and let Blair haul the knapsack.

Once they had finally made it home they were all sticky and exhausted. Everyone agreed to go and bath in the stream, the girls heading out first.

Serena desperately wanted one on one girl time with Blair to talk about the little incident at the pool earlier. "So come on B," she pleaded to her tight-lipped friend, "Tell me what happened!"

"There's nothing to tell, S," she stated. "You saw everything that happened. It was simply a kiss. And it was a mistake. It won't happen again!"

"Blair!" Serena whined, "Please. I know something's going on. You guys spent the night together…. in a tent…. alone! And then you flirted the entire morning together and then that kiss! So come on!"

"Fine," Blair finally answered, "But you can't say anything to Nate, ok?" she warned as her friend eagerly nodded her head in agreement. She proceeded to tell Serena about the previous evening including the stream and the waking up with him holding her and the 'I love you' that morning to her hair. "It was the strangest thing for him to do," she stated sadly. "I just don't understand it. If he really does love me, why he can't tell me face to face, when I'm conscious?"

"Well, it looked like he was really into you this afternoon by the pool," Serena commented. "I mean, holy crap! That kiss was so unbelievably hot! I was totally turned on just watching you guys!" she added.

"Well, Chuck and I never had trouble in that department," Blair informed her with a blush and a chuckle. "In fact, it's like our bodies were made for each other. But I've told him I love him, and I still do! I know he loves me too, but he still can't share his feelings with me on a mature, adult level. Nor can he commit to a monogamous relationship. I don't think I can take him hurting me like he did last spring ever again, so I don't intend on letting it go further. What happened at the pool today was a mistake."

"I think you need to give him a chance Blair. He's getting closer to telling you he loves you already! I think you two spending some time together over the next few days will prove this to you. And he hasn't really seen anyone else besides a few hookers since last spring. I think he's ready for a relationship."

"I doubt it, but well see," Blair replied, wondering if perhaps Serena was right. After all, the butterflies had started fluttering away again in her stomach that afternoon and had resurfaced every time she so much as thought of Chuck.

**XOXO**

Back on the beach a similar conversation was happening between Chuck and Nate.

"Come on man," Nate pleaded. "'Fess up!"

"There's nothing to confess to you Nathanial," Chuck insisted, "We just kissed, no big deal."

"Yes, Big deal," Nate insisted. "You know that was way more than just a kiss! Dam! I dated the girl for years and she never kissed me like she kissed you today! Hell, Serena doesn't even kiss me like that!"

"Well, did you ever think, Nathanial, that maybe you just don't know how to kiss? Maybe to you and Serena it looked like big deal, but to Blair and me, it really wasn't! Hell, I don't know if it even meant anything to her," Chuck added in frustration. "She avoided me for the rest of the afternoon."

"I do so know how to kiss, thank-you, Chuck! And I know Blair." Nate reminded him (like Chuck could EVER forget that), getting in a dig as pay back for the 'can't kiss' jab. "I know she isn't big on public displays of affection. She's also probably really scared you're going to hurt her again"

"Yes, I do have a tendency for doing that, don't I? That's one of the reasons why I avoided her all summer," Chuck reminded him.

"So, how do you feel about her now?" Nate asked, "Because you certainly weren't avoiding her all afternoon today. You can't tell me you're over her after that! And, by the way," he added with a laugh, "Tell me how did the sleeping arrangements work for you last night?"

"She was pissed that I ended up in 'her' tent last night," Chuck chuckled remembering her disgust at him mooning her, "But, I must admit, it was a good move. I had the best sleep I've had in months! I even woke up curled around her this morning," he admitted. "I do love her, Nate, but I don't know if I can give her what she needs from me right now," he sighed in earnest. "Maybe it's just as well it doesn't go any further."

"Ok, but again Chuck, if that's how you really feel, why the kiss today?" he asked with a smug little smirk.

"Point made," Chuck admitted and then added, "Oh, by the way Nathanial, if you're going to keep having sex with Serena in the next tent, we'll have to move you guys further down the beach. That was brutal to listen to last night. It took every ounce of self control I could muster not to ravish Blair in her sleeping bag!"

"Which is why we plan on keeping those arrangements for the remainder of the trip," Nate confessed.

The kids were too full of fruit to eat much later on. They settled for a quick wiener roast and everyone groaned at the phallic references to such morsels from Chuck. After their brief meal, Nate and Serena disappeared up the north side of their beach for a walk. Chuck suggested that he and Blair maybe head down the southern side of the beach for their own walk.

Of course Nate told Serena about his conversation with Chuck earlier that afternoon. And in turn, Serena told Nate Blair's story too. After all, they had both been plotting this reconciliation over most of the summer. So why shouldn't they talk to each other about it?

When Nate found out that Chuck had whispered his love for Blair into her hair, he howled with laughter, saying he'd known it all along. They both agreed to continue to force the two to share a tent. Things eventually might happen. Besides the thought of sleeping with Serena sounded better than that of sleeping with Chuck!

Nate began to gather shells for his girlfriend as they walked together scheming down the beach.

On the southern side of their beach, there was no conversation occurring at all. The two walked side by side alone the shore, enjoying the water running over their flip-flops ankle deep in the tide.

"Penny for your thoughts, Waldorf," Chuck suggested.

Blair laughed, "How would I spend it here Chuck?" she inquired. "There are no stores around for miles! I must confess this is the furthest I have ever been from anything retail in my life and I don't mind it in the least. At least today I don't!"

"Maybe this place is starting to grow on you," Chuck suggested, "Or maybe it's the company."

She chose to ignore that last comment of his and explained that she thought the tranquility was probably just really good for her overall state of mind.

Chuck shook his head at her skirting the issue, but reached over to take her hand in his anyways.

"Really now! Chuck and Blair holding hands!" Blair scoffed, with a little more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Shut up, Waldorf," he said with a smirk.

Together they walked like that for a while, neither speaking, but both just enjoying the closeness of the other, until Chuck screeched out an ear piercing, "FUCK!"

He just happened to unintentionally kick a jellyfish that was merrily floating along in the tide, looking for a snack. When it felt Chuck's foot assault its frail body, it stung him. Hard! They both watched it saunter back into deeper water, its statement of anger well made.

On the shore Chuck bounced around on one foot, cursing and swearing.

"It fucking burns!" he confessed to Blair, not wanting to sound like a baby without much success. "What the hell can I do?" he asked.

Blair wasn't sure whether to make fun of him or be overly concerned. She knew that minor jellyfish stings were suppose to be painful, but weren't lethal unless the victim was allergic to them (kind of like bee stings, she recalled). She offered him what little advice she could.

"Well I remember once on some old sitcom someone got stung by a jellyfish. I remember them saying that urine neutralizes the sting. Maybe you should pee on yourself Chuck," she said, unsuccessfully trying not to laugh when she witnessed the look of horror on his face at her suggestion.

"I am not pissing on myself!" he growled. "Besides, I went before we left, remember? I don't have to go."

"Well, we could try walking back to camp then if you're ok," she suggested and turned to start walking back, knowing full well he couldn't. She found it quite amusing that the great Chuck Bass had been taken out by a little floating sack of pulsating ocean goo.

"You're enjoying this way too much, Waldorf," he complained. "Can you just stop walking for a moment and maybe help me here?" he pleaded. "I can't exactly walk, you know!"

"Are you suggesting I try to carry you Bass?" she asked with amusement. "Because you know that will never happen."

"No, that's not the kind of help I'm suggesting," he said to her slyly with a little smirk growing on his lips and a raise of one eyebrow.

"You are NOT asking me to pee on you!" she screeched, shaking her head and moving further away from him.

"I don't know what else we can do," he stated. "Look, despite the fact that some people pay good money for this kind of kinky stuff, it's really not my thing! I want you pissing on me about as much as you want to piss on me! But this thing fucking hurts and I'd rather get back to camp tonight before it gets too dark and all the creepy things come out tonight and get us!"

"Well, can't we just wait until you need to go again and then you can just do it yourself?" Blair whined.

"You know I don't pee very often," he reminded her. "We could be here until tomorrow if we waited for that! You, on the other hand, are female. And like most females, you tend to have to pee all the time!"

"Fine!" she snapped with disgust. "I'll do this for you ,Chuck. But you owe me big time for this!"

"Just piss on me then, Waldorf," he growled sticking out his foot a little in her direction, "It's getting worse! We'll settle the deal later, if you don't mind!"

She insisted he turn his back as she hovered over his foot and started to pee on him. All the while she thought how it was the most disgusting thing she had ever done. He whined in pain as the uric acid initially burned the sting mark. His foot jerked in reflex to the pain at one point, which in turn made it unintentionally kick Blair slightly in the bum. Unfortunately, this made her splash a little bit of pee on herself.

"You fucking idiot!" she screeched. "Now I have pee all over myself too!"

"Sorry about that Blair," he chortled. "At least now we'll match!"

The horrid task done, the two sat in the sand (away from the pee) for a few moments. When he realized the sting had subsided, Chuck told Blair it was ok to try and walk again.

They slowly began heading back to camp, going as quickly as they could manage. Nightfall began to cover them and the bugs were coming out. Neither spoke until they were close to camp where Chuck suggested they rinse off in the stream first. Blair agreed whole-heartedly. She felt absolutely filthy.

Not even bothering with a bathing suit, she plunged into the stream and let the cool water rinse over herself. He followed suit a little further downstream, not daring to sit by her, least she kill him or something.

When they both ended up in camp a little while later they were met by a startled Nate and Serena. The two had begun to worry that their friends weren't back from their walk yet. They were amused to notice both were soaking wet. But when they looked at them questionably, Blair snapped.

"Don't ask!"

So they didn't. Blair went and changed into her pyjamas and scrubbed her teeth. She stormed into her tent and zipped it shut without saying a word to anyone.

Chuck changed as well, but chose to go and sit with his friends at the bonfire. He explained what had transpired down on the beach between him and Blair.

The laughter from all three echoed in the night. It just pissed Blair off even more.

"You have a big mouth, Bass," she yelled at him. "Find somewhere else to sleep tonight," she added.

A couple of hours later Chuck snuck into the tent to find Blair fast asleep. Nate and Serena still insisted on sharing a tent, so he didn't have a choice but to share with Blair (not that he really minded anyways). She was on top of the sleeping bags and sprawled across the entire sleeping area, making it impossible for him to get into his bag without touching her.

He carefully slid his arms under her body and lifted her gently to her side of the tent. He quickly peeled off his clothes, just leaving on his clean boxers, and grabbed a spare blanket from a corner of the tent. He covered them both up as he carefully slid in beside her. When he was sure she remained asleep, he cuddled up next to her and put his arm over her stomach.

In response, the sleeping Blair turned over and curled up facing him. She tucked her head under his chin and rested her hand on his chest. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered a thank-you to her before telling her goodnight.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 6 **

The week's camping trip was nearing its end. It was now Friday, the day before Stacy was to pick them up. The last few days had gone by at a relaxing and fairly uneventful pace on the island. The kids had explored more of the sites suggested on Stacy's map. They revisited the fruit belt a couple of more times and also hit a spot that indicated strawberries on the map. They'd been delighted to find them along with raspberries, low bush blueberries and several bushes thick with nuts too! They also found some weird viney-looking plant with yellow flowers and a cucumberish looking fruit they couldn't identify until Chuck discovered some dried ones. "Luffa!" he announced with amusement. They picked a few to take back as souvenirs for their friends and families. There seemed no end to the bounty on this island.

Besides gathering clams and crabs along the shore, the group had also chosen to do some fishing. They found they had better luck with catching freshwater fish inland, more so than they did with the saltwater species in the ocean. Luckily, Nate had experience with both and taught the others how to bait a hook (both girls refused), cast and reel in with the rods, and gut and clean their catch (again, the girls refused).

The issues with creepy crawlers and bugs continued. One evening Blair had come screaming back from the toilet trenches after a confrontation with a rat. Serena had also had some rat trouble and Chuck had almost killed Nate when he had handed him a garter snake instead of the bottle opener he had asked for after dinner one night.

Nate and Serena continued to share a tent, forcing Blair and Chuck to share one too. For the most part Chuck had respected Blair's need for space, knowing full well they'd cuddle up again in the night. Blair wanted to confront him on his confession of love to her hair that one morning, but didn't dare bring it up when he backed off on his advances. She figured the jellyfish incident had erased his feelings for her altogether. He must be disgusted by her, she thought. She didn't know they spooned most nights. He was always up before her, and slipped out of the tent before she woke up.

Despite becoming more and more sexually frustrated, Chuck figured he could handle the few days left on the beach without sex. In the mean time, he used the cool water in the stream, his hand and negative visual imagery to keep his sex drive at bay (in particular thinking of Dan and/ or Vanessa worked best at turning him off). He doubted Blair would want to continue in a relationship with him despite the sensual kiss they'd shared that first time at the lava tube slides. He just couldn't wait to be back in Manhattan where he could drown himself in scotch and pretend some dark haired prostitute was Blair.

**XOXO**

Back in the UES, the news hounds had been relentless. They had covered the story when it first broke and had hassled the kids' families for comments at every opportunity all week. The story was featured on every television and radio news broadcast and in every newspaper. All of Manhattan was in mourning.

Plans were now being made for a mass funeral. It had just been announced officially that the four missing teens, presumed dead, would have no further search efforts made for them. The search parties had looked in earnest all week, only recovering a few other items that could be linked to the kids with no indication of survival. Several large sharks had been caught, killed and examined in the area, but besides a shoe (belonging to Stacy), no other human remains were found. The crew had searched neighbouring deserted islands, but not anywhere near where Stacy had dropped the young group off.

Stacy's island was over one hundred and fifty miles (over 200 kilometres) away from the search area. He'd chosen this particular island for the kids to camp on because he knew no-one would ever likely intrude on them. Little Paradise was perfect. There were no poisonous snakes (although he'd occasionally seen a couple of humongous reticulated pythons) or really dangerous carnivores on it, and there were a lot of fun things for kids (even older ones) to do. He'd enjoyed the island himself for years, taking his family with him on occasion. His plan had been to retire on it eventually. That plan had changed when his loving wife died of cancer a few years ago. Her ashes were buried on the inside part of the horseshoe, just off the shore of a beautiful and peaceful cove. Stacy hadn't visited it recently, nearly as often as he had in the past. The memories were too painful. Up until his untimely death he had only frequented the island for an occasional hunting trip with one or the other of his sons or grandsons, or just sometimes to get away from everyone or when he wanted to feel sentimental. The date of his wedding anniversary had always brought him back for a visit in order to pay homage to his late wife. But besides that, the island was no longer in use, so he'd felt it would be perfect for his long- time friend's grandson to enjoy, just like his own sons and grandsons had in better times, many years before.

**XOXO**

That evening the kids began to tidy up their area in preparation for the pick up tomorrow. They had spent the day exploring some nearby caves down a little further on the beach that Stacy had labelled on the map as being safe and for them to use in case of a severe storm. They were breath taking! The caves had once housed ancient tribes of Polynesians. Their art was still evident on the ancient walls of the caves.

The four were also amazed at how dry and sheltered the caves were inside. Stacy, or someone, had stocked one well in case of emergencies, hurricanes in particular. There was a shed of sorts built into it that had sleeping bags, first aide supplies, canned food and various other survival paraphernalia in it. If there had been a bad storm, they would have been safe in them.

But the caves were dirty. Feeling filthy from climbing around inside the dirty caverns for most of the afternoon, Blair decided she really needed a wash. She grabbed her supplies and headed up the game trail to the stream. She was just rinsing her hair out when she saw Chuck approaching with his own bath supplies.

"Nate and Serena opted for a dunk in the ocean," he informed her. "I prefer my body and hair salt free. Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Sure, come on in," she invited. "I was going to try out one of these luffa sponges," she announced waving the strange looking thing in the air. "Funny, I always thought they grew in the sea."

"Me too," he replied as he shucked down to his boxers and slid in beside her.

Blair lathered up her soap and sponge and got to work on her body. She closed her eyes as she worked and unintentionally moaned softly as the sponge exfoliated her sun-bronzed skin. The noise was an honest impulse reaction, but she had no idea of the effect it was having on Chuck.

He stared at her in awe as the sponge travelled up her body, stroking her stomach, her chest, her arms, her collar bone and up the front of her neck. He gulped as she lifted up her hair and washed the back of her neck and shoulders. He almost had a stroke when she opened those beautiful, sensual doe-eyes of hers and innocently asked him to wash her back.

He took the sponge from her and applied more of her soap. He scooted behind her and took a deep breath before beginning to wash her. Slowly and gently he covered her back with the thing, paying special attention to her tanned shoulders and neck. She mewled in pleasure at how good this felt on her body, and he gulped with each sound she made.

To say he wasn't highly aroused at this would be a lie. It was the most erotic task he had engaged in, in a long, long time. It took every ounce of control he had not to drop the sponge and continue soaping her with his hands, his mouth, and his own body. He wanted to ravish her. He finally forced himself to stop when he could bear it no longer.

She sighed when she realised he had finished. She was starting to acknowledge the intimacy of the act and was getting pretty turned on herself. She took the sponge and looked at him. His head was turned away from her. It was obvious that he was avoiding eye contact with her. He's not interested, she reminded herself and then remembered he was disgusted with her.

"Thank-you," she told him in a voice slightly louder than a whisper. "Do you want to use it?"

"Um, maybe later," Chuck answered turning away from her and starting to swim upstream. "I think I want to swim for a while first." He couldn't look at her without exposing the heavy lust that was surely written all over him. What he needed was the cold water and some exercise to relieve the ache in both his heart and his groin. Fuck, he thought as he tried to shed the image of her and the desire that was ponding into his swollen crotch and replace it with the most unappealing thing he could imagine…. Dan Humphrey, Dan Humphrey, Dan Humphrey! But it wasn't working. He was so horny it was killing him!

Chuck's sudden departure confused Blair. She believed he was repulsed by her after the jellyfish incident and wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible. After all, he hadn't even been able to even look at her. The thought made her choke up. She decided to leave as the tears began welling up in her eyes. She didn't want him to see how upset she was again. Thank God they were heading home tomorrow!

She headed back to the camp, scrubbed her teeth and quickly changed into some pyjamas as the tears started to fall. She flew into the tent and zipped it up without saying a word to her friends. She was obviously not herself.

Serena and Nate had finished with their own swim moments before, and had decided to get dinner together. They were making a salad from some greens they'd picked earlier in the day when they saw Blair return from the stream. She looked upset. When she headed into her tent in pyjamas, they knew there was a problem.

"I'll talk to her," Serena informed Nate as she dropped a handful of wild cherry tomatoes into the salad bowl and headed over to see her distraught friend. She unzipped the tent and went in anyways despite the fact that Blair hadn't responded when she'd knocked on the flaps. She was surprised to see Blair crying. "B, what happened?" she asked her friend with concern. "Tell me what that Basstard did now."

"I repulse him," Blair wailed. "He couldn't even stand to be near me in the stream. I asked him to wash my back with the luffa, and he couldn't even look at me after that. And then he just took off on me. I don't think I've ever felt so humiliated in my life. I want to go home."

"Did he tell you that you disgusted him, B?" Serena asked, not quite following the story from Blair. It didn't make sense. "When did you do anything that disgusted him?"

"The other night, when I had to pee on him. He's been avoiding me ever since. It's awful. He can't even look at me! Please sleep in here with me tonight," she begged. "I couldn't stand it if I had to see him try and avoid me any more. It breaks my heart," she cried.

"This doesn't make any sense, Blair, but I'll sleep in here if that's what you really want, but not until I talk to Chuck."

"No, Serena. Please don't! Its embarrassing enough as it is!" she pleaded.

"I think you're making a mistake. I need to go and talk to him." she replied as she backed out of the tent and left Blair alone.

Serena marched over to Nate and announced to him that they were going to talk to Chuck who'd upset Blair once again. She told him she'd explain on the way.

"Seriously, don't Serena," Blair pleaded as she watched her two friends heading up the game trail.

Oh my God, Blair thought! She was so embarrassed it wasn't even funny. She couldn't face Chuck, especially now with those two confronting him. He'd surely hate her, let alone be disgusted by her. She remembered how cruel his eyes could be when he hated her. The night he'd compared her to his father's sweaty horse had almost killed her. She couldn't bear the thought of him looking at her like that ever again! She had to get away!

Not even thinking, she left the tent and headed to the changing area. She quickly put on some clothes, grabbed her water bottle, a knife, the lighter and a camping lantern and took off down the beach, cussing both her foolishness at telling Serena anything, and Serena's stupidity as she went. She would have to get away quickly before it got too dark to see and before he came back to camp. No way was she going to deal with that shit tonight!

**XOXO**

Chuck felt a little less uncomfortable after he watched Blair leave the stream and he'd had a chance to masturbate. He decided to have a good wash and just relax for a while before heading back to camp. He tried not to think of her again, lest he end up in another serious state of arousal. She could do that to him quicker than any other woman he'd ever met could. One more night, he told himself, and he wouldn't have to torture himself with her closeness again.

He was just drying himself off when he heard them approach. The look of anger on Serena's face told him something wasn't quite right.

"What?" he asked, honestly without a clue as to what he could've done wrong this time.

"You prick!" Serena lunged at him, almost shoving him back into the stream. "What did you say to her?"

"Back off, sis, I have no idea what you're talking about," Chuck snapped. "What did I say to who?"

"Don't play innocent, Chuck! What did you say to Blair? Tell me why she's sitting in a tent bawling her eyes out right now. She said you were disgusted with her. What did you do this time?"

"She's crying! Why? I did nothing but wash her back. I never told her I was disgusted with her!" Chuck exclaimed. "I swear!" He grabbed his stuff and quickly headed back to the camp. The thought of her crying over something he supposedly said or did, had him very upset. But for the life of him he couldn't figure it out!

"Whatever you did Chuck, you need to fix this thing tonight! We're heading home tomorrow and this whole trip will be a waist if you two can't reconcile your issues. I swear to God if you hurt her again intentionally, I'll never speak to you again."

"As much as the promise of you shutting your mouth around me permanently is more appealing than you can imagine," Chuck admitted, "I would never hurt Blair intentionally again. I promise. She must have misinterpreted something I said or did. So don't worry, I'll make it right. I'll talk to her right now," he promised.

As the three continued their way into camp, they noticed that something didn't feel right. Their feelings became justified after Chuck entered the small tent and announced, "She's gone!" to his friends.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 7**

She was scared shitless. What a stupid thing she had done, she thought; but it was too late to turn back now. She'd never make it before dark!

She decided to gather firewood quickly before it got any darker. She couldn't fathom spending the night in the cave in the pitch darkness. This cavern had seemed so bright and cheery during the day, but as the last shadows of light began to disappear, so did its cheerfulness!

Fortunately, there had been a ton of wood not far from the caves. She soon got a fire going without too much hassle, being grateful she'd taken the lighter from camp. Once she was satisfied that it wouldn't die out on her, she hopped up onto the ledge where the storage shed was that contained the emergency supplies. She quickly grabbed a sleeping pad and sleeping bag and tossed them down near the fire. She also found a large pot in the pile of supplies and headed deeper back into the cave with her lantern to find the small pool they'd seen earlier that day. It had water coming from a crack in one side of the back wall.

She fiddled with a couple of other items and then turned off the lantern and climbed into her sleeping bag close to the fire. It was then that she felt settled enough to think.

She had probably over reacted, she thought. Running away was a Chuck, not a Blair thing! She now felt stupid and knew her friends would worry. She would spend the night, explaining to her friends in the morning that she'd simply been embarrassed and just needed space to think.

She had another good cry remembering her earlier hurt and again said a prayer of thanks that they'd be returning home tomorrow. Once home, she could just try to forget him, something she'd tried to do earlier that summer. Soon she'd start classes at NYU and would be living on campus. She didn't need to even see him ever again if she tried hard enough to stay away from him.

But the thought of not seeing him ever again made her tears start all over again. She finally banked her fire and washed her face with the water she'd collected in the pot and heated on the stove to purify it. Finally feeling mentally exhausted, she took a long drink from her water bottle to help fight off the hunger she felt (she refused to eat the emergency rations in the cave as this really wasn't an emergency and she really wasn't starving). Finally content that that was as good as it was going to get, she climbed once again into her bed.

She stared in amazement at the shadows that crept up the high walls of the cavern from the fire. The primitive drawings seemed to move as the light flickered around them. She thought in wonder, that this was probably what the cave's ancient occupants must have witnessed each night in the past. This cave had been a home to generations of families. The thought made her feel humbled, small and alone. Soon she was fast asleep.

**XOXO**

"I am not going to stop looking for her tonight!" Chuck insisted after Nate suggested they call it a night. "It's my fault she's missing."

The three had been searching in earnest for the last three hours for her. Now it was dark- almost black in the moonless night. They had searched several of the game trails and combed the beach for hours.

"I don't think she'd just wander off," he spoke out loud, "She'd go somewhere she felt safe. I'm going to try the caves we were at this afternoon," he told them.

"I think we need to give her space to cool down," Nate suggested. "She obviously is upset and just wants to be left alone. I know Blair! She wouldn't want us following her. She'll be back in the morning when she's ready. She knows we're heading out around noon. We should just head back to camp."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Nate on this one," Serena admitted. "Blair'll come back when she's ready."

"You agree with Nate because you both only share part of a brain," Chuck grumbled. "I know her too, Nathaniel. Way better than you may believe. And I'm not giving up on looking for her tonight."

He passed them on the trail and headed back down the beach, the lantern in his hand lighting the way. The caves were only about a twenty minute hike down the shore, and then another few minutes more up a different game trail. He only hoped he could identify the trail in the dark. It would suck being lost on a trail at night, especially with all those bugs and things!

He was absolutely worried sick about Blair. The thought of her alone, maybe lost or hurt, and probably frightened, horrified him. He couldn't bare the thought of her being out here in this dark wilderness, unprotected. He only hoped she had indeed gone to the emergency caves they'd been to that afternoon.

He knew he'd found her when he saw the soft glow of a fire coming from inside the main cave. He cautiously crept up into the cavern, and lowered himself down a couple of ledges to the cavern floor. She was sleeping soundly by the fire. He instantly felt relief as he watched her breathing peacefully and knew no harm had come to her. He issued a silent prayer of thanks for her safety.

He wanted to wake her! He wanted to yell at her! He wanted to hold her! He just desperately wanted her. But instead he fought his impulses and simply went over to the storage unit. He got out another sleeping bag and pad and a tin cup he spotted on one of the shed's shelves. He brought these over to her side, lay down his bedding and went over to the fire. He was pleased she'd placed the pot of water on the rocks around the cave's fire ring. It was still hot, and he needed something comforting to drink. He wished more than ever for a shot or two of scotch! But tonight, he thought, water would have to do.

He re-banked the fire and took his drink over to the sleeping bag. He sat cross-legged and watched her sleep. He was still confused as to why she would have gotten upset with him at the stream. He went over the details in his head, but couldn't see any problem except that he'd been so sexually frustrated he had to get away from her. We wondered if she'd misinterpreted his retreat from her. That was the only glitch he could see in their interactions that evening. Other than that, it had been great! He recalled in great detail her bathing herself with the luffa! Oh my God she was so beautiful it hurt him to look at her. Hell, it hurt to even think of looking at her. He was becoming aroused again and needed to stop. He groaned in frustration.

The noise was enough to wake her. Blair bolted upright and stared at him in shock. "What are you doing here?" she blurted.

"We were concerned about you wandering off," he explained. "I'm sorry I woke you up. I didn't mean to."

"Where are Nate and Serena?" she asked, feeling the panic start to rise when she noted they weren't in the cavern with them.

"They're likely back at camp," Chuck replied. "We looked for a few hours for you. They decided to head back, but I wanted to keep looking. I knew you'd likely go somewhere safe, so I decided to check for you here. I've only been here for about half an hour or so," he added, noting her panic.

"Blair, I'm sorry for whatever I did earlier that upset you," he continued. "I don't know what's wrong, but it must be pretty extreme for you to leave camp and go out into the wilderness alone like you did."

"Just stop! I'm already humiliated enough, Chuck," she responded as tears started rolling down her cheeks. She rolled over onto her side so she didn't have to see his face. "Please don't make me talk about it. Just go, ok."

"Serena said you thought I was disgusted by you or something weird like that. Is that true? I'm not sure where that would be coming from, but you don't disgust me."

"Jesus, Chuck," she snapped in anger. "You can stop pretending with me. I saw how you couldn't even look at me earlier tonight, how you couldn't wait to get away from me. You're response all but told me to get the fuck away from you. It was pretty clear you thought I was like your dad's sweaty horse again and I repulse you. So you can stop playing this game. I'm humiliated enough without having to live it again. After tomorrow you won't ever have to look at me again, I promise. So please just leave me alone. You can go back to camp now. I'll be fine here by myself."

Chuck was shocked! "You thought I was repulsed by you in the stream tonight?" he asked, with a huge grin on his face and a hint of laughter in his voice. "Now I'm the one embarrassed!" he admitted.

"Bass, don't tease me any more, and stop laughing at me!" she cried.

"No …, fuck Blair, you've got this so wrong. It's really pretty funny!" he laughed. "Seriously, I promise. Just listen to me for a moment," he begged. He began to explain how he'd felt watching her wash in the stream, and then how he'd almost lost control when she'd had him wash her back. He finally confessed that he'd been so sexually frustrated he had to get away from her before he attacked her on the spot. "I spent the next 15 minutes thinking of Dan fucking Humphrey to try and get you off my mind. So I should be the one humiliated," he admitted, "Not you."

"But I disgust you," she whispered.

"Sit up Blair and look at me," he asked.

She turned over, sat up and looked at him through her tear filled eyes. She immediately dropped her eyes to her lap.

"You do not disgust me. Period."

"So why have you been avoiding me all week?" she asked as a new batch of tears threatened to fall.

"I've been trying to respect your space!" he responded in frustration. "You told me to get lost a couple of times this week. I didn't want to force myself on you too much. I was afraid I'd get carried away, and you'd hate me again for good."

He sighed and shook his head. "I hate how we always misread each other," he said. "You need to know that you're the most important thing that's ever happened to me and I will simply die if I fuck this up. I feel like I'm always walking on eggshells around you. I just don't know how to be with you anymore."

"Really?" she asked. "I'm important to you?" She raised her head and looked him in the face. She saw no sign of malice, no cruelty and no repulsion on his face.

"Blair, you need to know this if you don't already….. I…., I love you," he said shyly, looking down into his own lap now. In this ancient cavern, thousands of miles away for the UES and all their friends and family, he finally managed to say those 8 letters and three words to her face.

She stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe he'd said them.

"You… you love me?" she stuttered, needing confirmation. She scooted over to his mat and lifted his chin so he could look at her.

He grinned at her and nodded his head, meeting her eyes with his own. "I love you," he repeated, "More than you could possibly ever believe, and I have for a really, really long time," he admitted.

"I love you too," she whispered. "I never stopped."

He got up on his knees and put his hands gently on her face, losing himself in the depth of her eyes. He leaned in and softly brushed his lips against hers, whispering those words for her once more, "I love you so much, it consumes me too."

She attacked his mouth, eagerly grasping at his shoulders as his response echoed her own intense need. She pulled him to her as close as she could, and deepened their kiss. "Chuck!" she gasped.

He circled his arms around her, sliding his hands over her back and holding her steady to support her small frame as he gently leaned her back onto the sleeping bag.

He broke the kiss, needing to slow down a moment and breathe. He pulled away, despite her moan of protest. He stroked her jaw line down to her neck and then removed his shirt and pants. He helped slide her baby doll pyjama top off over her head, and held her eyes while she slipped off the matching bottoms.

She raised her arms encouraging him back to them and he obliged. His mouth hungrily met hers while his hands roamed her body. He was filled with so much passion he was afraid of hurrying things.

"I need to slow down a bit Blair, or this will be over fast," he told her with a grin. "Sorry, but my body just wants you so badly right now. I want to do this right."

"It's always right with you Chuck," she told him. "It's ok. I need you desperately too," she confessed.

With that he allowed his passion to take over, knowing full well, there'd be time for gentler coupling later. His hands ravished her, grasping and kneading her, feeling like he couldn't get enough of her skin. His mouth devoured hers, savouring every taste and sound that she offered.

Blair's passion met his equally. She clawed at his back with her recently shortened, but still lethal nails. Her legs wrapped around him firmly pulling him closer to her center, her hands now cupping his bum, relishing in the feel of his silky skin. She lifted her pelvis until she felt his aching need against her. He was so hard it made her shudder in anticipation. "Chuck," she mewled and she begged, "Please!" She arched herself and groaned trying to draw him into her.

He smiled at her eagerness and kissed her neck, preparing to go in for the kill, but enjoying the tease as well. When he could tolerate the anticipation no longer, he drove into her deeply, taking great pleasure at her gasp and welcoming moan.

Her body swallowed him, drawing him in deeper than he expected, muscles tightly holding on as he began to withdraw and plunge in again. She cried in pleasure as he continued the action, knowing it wouldn't take much to send her over the top. She raked her short nails down his back as his need for speed increased to match hers.

He watched her face as he continued his assault on her body, feeling (appropriately) like a cave man. She was beautiful in her passion, holding nothing back as she allowed her desire to take over. Her velvet depths tightened even further, almost making him erupt. He gritted his teeth in effort to put it off. He would make sure she was satisfied before he'd allow for his own release.

He had no need to worry for long. His next thrust caused the contractions to begin in her walls, the following ones making her erupt completely. She screamed his name in her orgasm, causing him to explode inside her too.

She held him closer, arching her pelvis, drawing him in tighter and deeper yet again while another series of contractions took hold, causing him to whimper as his body shuddered on and on.

Finally he collapsed on her, completely spent. "You're amazing," he told her.

"I think it's the combination," she insisted, with a blush. "I only do what I do, because it's with you."

"Then we really fucking rock!" he boasted, turning them over so they were both on their sides

He watched her in the flickering light as she kissed his chin and closed her eyes. She was asleep almost immediately. I've never seen you more beautiful than right now, he thought. He fell asleep still inside of her. Yeah, it had been that good!

**XOXO**

**Chapter 8.**

Serena and Nate had just finished packing up the tents when they decided to go and look for Chuck and Blair. They were a little put off by the inconvenience of this, preferring to spend their last morning at camp relaxing instead of playing hide and seek.

"They're both just so selfish," Serena complained. "If Stacy wasn't going to be here at noon I'd just like to leave them."

"I agree," Nate stated. "Its just like when your dog gets out of the fence. If you leave it long enough it makes its way back home!"

The blonds made their way up the beach agreeing to first start to look in the emergency caves like Chuck had suggested they do last night.

"I wonder if he found her last night," Serena asked rhetorically, "And if he did, I wonder if she tore him to shreds?"

**XOXO**

The first rays of dawn peaking into the cavern woke Chuck. He felt the warm naked body of the girl he'd confessed his love to last night, and curled around her contentedly. But he soon felt the need to pee, so he quietly left the cavern, happy just to piss off the far ledge of the rocky ledge outside the cave. That done, he decided to leave the cave for a quick dunk in a small pool just through some bushes past the cave.

The water woke him up immediately. He took a handful of sand to quickly scour his body, regretting he had no soap. But the gritty mix was enough to erases the oil and sweat of the previous evening and he felt like a new man. He used his hands to wipe the water off of himself in the morning air and then headed back to the cave, only pausing long enough to grab a handful of not too ripe bananas from a tree near the pool.

Once inside, he stoked the fire and went to the back of the cave to get fresh water for the pot from a crack in the wall. Once it was on the fire heating, he went over to the storage shed and retrieved a second cup. He set it down next to his own and went back outside and down the trail to gather some wild mint leaves where they had collected some earlier the day before.

By the time Blair woke up, he had tea ready for them both. "You certainly are quite the little provider these days, aren't you, Bass?" she commented fondly.

He couldn't help but glow from her apparent admiration. "What can I say?" he drawled with a smirk. "You must bring out the best in me! At least you did last night!" he commented.

"Well, like I said before, I think we compliment each other quite nicely," she blushed. She reached over for her baby dolls and slipped into them quickly. "Did you bath already?" she asked noticing his wet hair.

"There's a small pool just past that clump of bushes," he reminded her. "I just used sand to wash away the grime."

"Right, I remember where it is now," she stated and headed out to freshen up.

After washing, if you could call it that, Blair joined him on the outside ledge of the cave to enjoy the morning sun with their breakfast. They sat close together, barely touching, but close enough to feel the warmth of the others' skin on their own.

She looked at him shyly and spoke, "I never thanked you for coming to get me last night."

"The hell you didn't," he replied with a wicked little grin. "A thank you like that just can't be beat."

"Well then, I should thank you as well," she admitted with a blush.

"When we get back home today,"…. he began.

"When we get back home today, what, Chuck?" she asked.

"When we get back home today, we need to make sure we don't fuck this up again," he swallowed, looking at her seriously. "I don't ever want to lose you again! I love you too much."

"I don't want to lose you again either, Chuck, I love you too," she admitted.

He turned to face her and leaned in to softly kiss her on the mouth. His hands found her damp tendrils and he pushed them behind her ears so he could stroke her face and kiss her neck.

She sighed into him, returning the kiss, her hands resting gently on his shoulders

They were startled apart when they heard the comment from Nate, "Well, holy shit! Would look at that!"

**XOXO**

Back at camp the four friends hurried to finish packing up their belongings. They didn't want to make Stacy wait for them to finish when he finally arrived. It was close to noon when they finally doused their fire, remembering to stir their ashes so as to not cause a brush fire, should any winds stir up the hot ashes. And then they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

At about 4:00 pm Nate announced that he thought Stacy wasn't coming.

"Ya think?" Blair snipped at him sarcastically.

"Ok Blair, just stop," Serena stated. "I guess he mixed up the dates then. He'll probably be by tomorrow, right?" she asked of no one in particular.

"Just how old is this guy again, Nathaniel? Are you sure he's not suffering from Alzheimer's or something?" Chuck sneered.

"Look, he probably just mixed up the dates, or had chopper trouble (understatement!), or something like that. I'm sure he'll be by tomorrow or have someone else pick us up. It's ok to stay another night, right? We'll just set up one tent and get the fire going. I'll write a note on something and attach it to our stuff in case he shows and we're not around. In the mean time, we can have another fun day together! We can gather something to eat and catch some fish or crabs. It'll be fun!"

"I think Blair and I will head back to the cave for the evening, if you don't mind. We still have some… ah…, some issues to work out." Chuck offered, looking at Blair who nodded in agreement.

"That's a great idea, guys!" Serena chirped enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you're working things out." She really was happy to see that maybe her friends were going to be ok. But she was also thrilled that her and Nate could have one more night of passion without hearing derogatory comments from an unwelcome audience.

It was settled then. Chuck and Blair would go back to the cavern they spent the last night in, and Nate and Serena would stay on the beach in a tent in case their ride back to Big Island showed.

The rest of the evening was spent in romantic bliss for each couple. Nate and Serena skinny dipped in the ocean and made passionate love in the tide. Chuck and Blair, on the other hand, set up a small camp in the cavern, gathered and cooked up a simple meal, bathed with real soap in the pool and made agonisingly sweet and sultry romantic love in the flickering firelight light in the cave.

**XOXO**

When Stacy didn't show the next day, they knew something had happened. Without a phone they were unable to get help. Nate finally got out the short wave radio and batteries from the bottom of the supply box. After several minutes of frustrating whines, static and foreign mumbo-jumbo, they found an American station. When the early evening news hit they heard the shocking news. Their funeral was set for the following Saturday in the same church Chuck's father had had his service in earlier that year in the UES. As far as the world was concerned, they were dead!

**XOXO**

**Chapter 9**

Shock. They were all in a state of it, Blair and Serena more than the boys. The most distressing thing about the news report was that they had bee presumed dead for over a week. There were no longer any search attempts to rescue them. Stacy's helicopter had crashed too far from their location to make it likely they'd ever search near this island.

"But there has to be a log book that he kept of his trips, right? Wouldn't they look in that to see we were on a schedule to be picked up?" Blair asked hysterically.

"You have to remember our trip was as a favour to the grandson of Nate's grandfather. Business wise, he probably wouldn't have logged it anywhere, preferring to keep pleasure separate from business. Besides, they found traces of our belongings in the wreckage. They thought we were with him. If there was evidence of shark attacks, they'd assume we gotten eaten too," Chuck replied, hugging her tightly to his chest. She was so frightened it scared him.

"Poor Stacy," Nate said. "I wonder why he crashed. But to end up in a shark like that would be so traumatic! I hope he died before the shark got him. He was a good man!"

Blair let go of Chuck and wailed, "I want to go home," at the top of her lungs out to the sea.

Chuck walked back over to her and held her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Now what?" Serena asked. "Is there anything we can do? Is there a way to use this radio to send out messages? Can we build one?"

"Slow down there, Gilligan!" Chuck told her, "You can't build a radio out of coconuts and clematis vines! I don't think any of us has that much knowledge in electronics to know how to do that kind of thing. It's probably best if we take inventory tomorrow and then brainstorm."

"Good idea Chuck," Nate replied, grateful for some kind of plan to start with. "I don't think we'll be stuck here for long," he added optimistically.

"You're probably right Nate." Serena supported, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. "In the meantime, let's get that tent unpacked again for another night and have some food."

"I am so going to miss the first day of school!" Blair groaned.

**XOXO**

The kids decided to share the large tent for that night until they had made a plan. They retired early after a quick meal of peanut butter sandwiches (using their last bread) and fruit. No one shared intimacies that night, each just needing the comfort of their partner. But they all lay awake, deep in thought as to what would happen to them.

They were all saddened by the pain and thoughts that their families and friends were going through. Nate's family would be sad at the loss of their only child. Serena in particular, felt for her mother and younger brother who had recently lost Bart. Now losing both her and Chuck would be overwhelming for sure. Chuck had no real family left to mourn him and Blair's folks were so detached from her there was little chance she'd even be missed.

At dawn, the kids all got up. The girls scavenged the shores for clams and crabs. Serena even managed to haul in an ornery lobster that pinched her hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. She felt no guilt throwing the son of a bitch into the boiling water. With the remainder of their fruit, the kids ate a healthy breakfast before starting to get to work.

The first thing they all agreed on was living accommodations. Despite loving their space from each other, it was unrealistic that they stay separated for much longer, and tents were not the best shelter when storms arose. And there would be plenty of rain and storms starting soon if they weren't rescued immediately.

Nate, having a Gilligan moment himself, thought it would be great to build a tree house like they did in Robinson Crusoe or some such book he'd read. Chuck flicked him on the head, telling him to grow up. There were some perfectly habitable caves close by that would keep them dry, without having to go into Bob the Builder mode!

To get the point across to his friend Chuck chanted, "Can we build it? … No we can't!"

They all laughed despite their anxiety over this entire situation. It was surreal. Surely they would soon all wake up in their own beds in Manhattan.

They decided to go through the supplies they had left and take anything worth salvaging. They soon found that meant everything. But before they began the task of moving to the emergency caves they rigged up a way to attach a note of their whereabouts to the side of a tree, just in case someone showed up looking for them. They also took time to gather some rocks and spell out a larg on the sandy beach and out of the range of the tide, just in case someone flew over the area.

It took several trips to haul all of their gear to the main cave. Once there, they placed it all on the ledge near the storage shed to take inventory with the contents of the shed as well. They had enough canned food from the shed to last them a week, but felt they really didn't need it as long as they could catch fish and gather plants and fruit from the bounty that grew on the island.

There was some warm weather gear, boots and some clothing that made each one of them cringe at the thought of. There were cooking utensils including a few dishes, some flint sticks, lighters and matches, a first aide kit and book, a bible, and an island survival book. There were also some maps that meant fuck all to the kids who didn't have a boat to use them with. There were some ancient electronic looking devices that no one had a clue about. They also had some food storage and water containers, two tents, some large tarps, air mattresses and a pump, some sleeping pads, a shovel, three axes (one large and two hatchets), a machete, two hunting knives, two fishing poles, some assorted tackle, some snorkelling gear, a boogie board, several sleeping bags, some pillows, two decks of cards, three large (industrial sized) boxes of candles, a pad of writing paper and two pens, three lanterns (two of which were hand cranked, the other had batteries and a battery recharger), two large crates, s cooler, some bags and baggies, a large box of soap, and ten rolls of toilet paper. Their own personal belongings aside, this was the extent of the property in the cave.

"We're fucked!" Chuck stated. "If they don't find us in a week or two, we're all going to die!"

His comment brought on tears from both girls, much to the dismay of Nate. "Don't you know the most important tool in survival is positive thinking," he explained, "Fuck, way to go and upset the girls, Chuck!"

Nate took Serena and Blair outside and attempted to comfort them. He decided the best thing for the girls right now would be to keep them busy. He went back into the cave with a few empty containers and sent them to the fruit belt to gather up some fruit and veggies.

While they were gone collecting, Chuck and Nate surveyed the area. They decide it was best to use the main cave as a general area, but to set up individual couple zones in smaller neighbouring caves for privacy.

They spent the next couple of hours choosing the two best smaller caves with entrances opening away from the sea. There would be little chance of wind and rain affecting their space in a stormy situation with the openings pointed away for the danger zone.

Each boy took two of the sleeping bags, air mattresses and pillows, some fire making gear and their own belongings to their caves.

The sleeping pads were covered with the additional sleeping bags to provide seating space near the fire in the lower central part of the cave. The cooking gear, dishes, and utensils were set upon a rock ledge near the storage shed, as were the fire starting instruments, lanterns and other such items. What they didn't think they'd use, was put back in the shed.

When that task was done, the boys searched for suitable areas to use for bathrooms. Again trenches were dug in two areas shortly away from the caves and away from the pools of fresh water close to the cave.

By the time the girls returned, their area was set up pretty nicely, despite their meagre contents. The girls quickly fixed a salad and they all gorged themselves on nuts and fruit as well.

Nate suggested it might be wise to begin to gather food and nuts to be dried and stored for later on in the season, should they not be rescued by then. He had no idea what would be available to eat here during the rainy season. He would later show them how to build drying racks for the fruits and whatever else they chose to dry (his grandfather had taught him this as a child). He and Chuck could make spears to hunt some of the smaller game on the island, as they were all soon to get sick of eating seafood. It would also be smart, he told them, to drag up wood to store in the back of the cave for when the colder, wet weather hit.

They were all impressed and grateful by Nate's knowledge of survival. Nate claimed that Blair had forced him to read The Clan of the Cave Bear series years ago. The only parts of the story he found interesting were the survival information. He also watched Survival Man and Man vs. Wild for fun, but found a lot of the situations both shows had given him some good sound advice on how to survive. On using the information from these unlikely sources combined with what he'd learned from hunting and fishing with his grandfather, Nate had some real sound basic survival knowledge. He hoped it would give them a better chance of surviving if they weren't rescued in the near future. Unknowingly, he had indeed set them off on the right track.

They all managed to keep themselves busy most of the afternoon and into the evening. It took their minds off thinking about how precarious their situation really was. Nate had reinforced to Chuck how important it was to keep up a positive attitude. For Blair, in particular, who had a history of depression and anxiety issues, hope and positive thinking were very important for her to keep going. If she gave up and shut down, it could be fatal. On that threat alone, Chuck vowed to be the poster child for optimism.

After everyone had washed off in the pool closest to the cave and had eaten some of the produce the girls had collected earlier, they all decided to turn in to their caves for the night. Once in their sleeping bags, each couple just clung to the other, grateful to have such companionship in their ordeal. This might suck, but it would have been a lot harder to manage alone! Soon they were all fast asleep.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 10**

He loves me, she thought, watching his chest rise and fall evenly in his sleep. That one thought was enough to sustain her through her grief of being stranded. It wasn't so much that she was stranded on a deserted island as it was her belief that there wasn't really anyone except maybe her maid who would even notice her absence. If Chuck hadn't shared that he loved her, Blair believed she wouldn't have been able to cope with this situation at all.

The kids had now been on the island for a little over five weeks. They were getting restless. Most days had been spent collecting food and wood for the upcoming rainy season. Their personal items were running low. Although they were already rationing it, soon they would be out of luxuries such as shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper. The girls had taken to keeping their hair tightly braided and only using shampoo every few days. Toilet paper was now only used for solid waste... no big deal for the boys, but a real issue for the girls.

Blair turned her attention back to her sleeping boyfriend. She smiled at the title: Boyfriend. He had risen to the occasion beautifully. She couldn't fault his dedication and care during the last few weeks. He was attentive, loving and gentle. Who would ever have thought that Chuck Bass could be so sweet! She reached over to brush a fallen eyelash off his cheek and he grinned at her touch on him.

"Why are you awake so early, Waldorf?" he asked as he rolled over onto his side facing her.

"I couldn't sleep any longer," she replied leaning over to softly kiss his mouth. "There was a bird outside that had the most beautiful song. I couldn't help but listen to it."

She slid a little closer to him and tucked her head under his chin, planting kisses on his chest. Her hand slid under the sleeping bag, caressing his waist down to his thigh and then reaching around to stroke his bum, his inner thigh and his responsive penis.

Chuck uttered a soft groan and pulled his body closer to hers, kissing her tenderly and reached for her hand under the cover. "You know we can't," he told her bringing her naughty hand back up.

They couldn't! They had no birth control whatsoever. Lost in the initial throws of passion, neither had even considered it at first until Blair had gotten her period a couple of weeks ago. That's when the reality of the need for birth control dawned on them. Serena was on the Depo shot, so birth control wasn't an issue right now for her and Nate, but it would be soon. Unfortunately, Nate had used up all of Chuck's condoms in the first couple of weeks in his relationship with Serena. Now, there were none.

It had been a sexually frustrating few weeks. They had engaged in manual and oral sex a lot, which was nice, but always left Blair needing something a little more. Chuck had humorously suggested making a dildo for her out of some kind of plant or tuber or something. The idea both embarrassed and repulsed Blair. She was ok with sex toys; she even had a few at home in her sock drawer (some even with names!). But what she really needed to scratch that itch was her man, not a tuber!

She was convinced withdrawal might work, or even the rhythm method. But he was being stubbornly responsible (Yes, Chuck Bass was being responsible!) and refused. It was driving her nuts. It didn't help that Nate and Serena were constantly going at it! Despite being in a separate cave, noises still did travel. It drove her crazy to hear them making love when her and Chuck's activities were so limited.

She wanted, no, she needed him, badly. She rolled him onto his back and coyly crawled on top of him, gently grinding her pelvis against his growing erection. He wanted it just as bad as her.

"Please Chuck," she begged. "Make love to me."

"We can't Blair," he groaned in frustration. "It's too risky." He attempted to slip out from under her.

But she was having none of that! Instead she pinned his arms over his head and whispered into his ear! "You can pull out Chuck; you don't have to cum inside. I know this will work. Can we at least try it? Please?" she purred, now nuzzling his neck.

She let his arms go and slid down his chest, letting her warm mouth graze over his body until she came to his thighs. Her tongue circled the tip of his hardness and she took his full length in her mouth. He groaned with pleasure, his hands kneading her scalp, encouraging her on. But pleasuring him orally wasn't her mission. She worked on him until he was fully engorged and then she stopped.

Sliding back up his chest, her eyes met his and again she whispered, "Make love to me Chuck." She kissed him so tenderly; pleased to hear his breath catch and another deeper groan escape from his mouth.

He couldn't resist. He rolled her onto her back and attacked her body, first caressing her neck and shoulders and then her breasts and belly with his tongue. Opening her legs, he slid his tongue along her inner thighs, nipping and sucking the delicate skin as she cooed under his attention. He found her core and nuzzled her until she bucked under his mouth and cried his name.

"Please Chuck, I need you inside me now!" she pleaded, gently pulling him up by the hair, bringing him closer to her until she could circle her legs around his waist. Her hands slid down between them and she stroked him against her wetness. Arching her back she guided him inside her depths, rocking her pelvis until he felt just right. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. "Please," she whispered, "I need you."

The girl would surely be the death of him! After that he simply had no control left. He couldn't hold back any longer, so he let himself go. Once started, Chuck simply could not stop. There would be no pulling out, not when her body drew him in so deeply and clenched him there. He just couldn't! It had been too long…. And she was just too wet…. And tight…. And perfect! How could he not make love to her?

He screamed her name when he finally came, right after she had screamed his.

**XOXO**

"Was that what I think it was?" Nate asked his girlfriend.

"I guess the abstinence rule has been lifted!" Serena replied, lifting her head off his chest to look at him.

"It lasted longer than I thought it would," He admitted as he ran his fingers along her back making her shiver.

Neither were worried about birth control at this point although they should have been. Because she hadn't had a period since she began her shots 3 years ago, Serena hadn't had to worry about a period. She'd heard some girls would go without menstruating for a year or more after the Depo shots were discontinued. So she just wouldn't worry about it for now. She assumed she would be safe for a long time yet. It was a mistake that would soon catch up to her.

They made love twice that morning in the humid morning air.

**XOXO**

"I want to go home!" Blair snapped, throwing the clam shells from their breakfast into the refuse pile they'd dug near their bathroom area. I'm getting sick of seafood. I'm still hungry! I want a yogurt! And a croissant…. with butter and jam! And I want a real bed, and condoms, and a manicure!" she added, looking with distaste at her stubbed nails.

"Ummm," Serena agreed, her mouth watering at the thought of warm flakey croissants, dripping with butter and blackberry jam. "I want cookies! Big, warm, chocolate chip ones that leave chocolate smears on your fingers and the sides of your mouth!"

Their diet, although healthy, was indeed becoming monotonous. You can only eat so much seafood, salad and fruit that it wouldn't! Cravings for starches and sweets had become and issue for all of the kids.

After cleaning up from lunch, the girls announced they were going to gather nuts from a small grove of trees near the fruit belt. The heavy clusters of pistachio nuts spotted earlier in the week should be ripe enough to pick now. These were a favourite of Chucks, and Blair had promised him she'd pick him some. They packed a quick lunch of fish jerky (Nate's pride and joy) and strawberries, grabbed their water bottles, a knife, and some bags to collect the nuts.

The boys had other plans. They were going to explore the inner horseshoe part of the island for the day. Up until now they had stuck to the outermost western coastal side as shown on Stacy's map. But they had seen trails leading down the back end behind the caves where the lava tube slides were, and were curious as to what else the island had to offer. They packed a similar lunch, water bottles and grabbed the hunting knife, machete, and a flint stick and tarp just in case they ended up having to spend the night. After all, they had no idea what was on the other side of the island.

**XOXO**

The girls had decided to stop picking pistachios and head back to the caves. They'd collected two full, heavy bags. For now, that was probably enough. They had just started to head back to the caves when they heard a loud, shrill scream coming from an area not too far away from them. They dropped their haul of nuts and ran over to the area, hair bristling on the back of both of their necks. The scream came again but was cut off shortly. Blair pulled back sharply and screamed herself when she saw it.

A humongous snake had coiled itself around some animal and was swallowing it whole! It was the most disturbing sight either girl had ever seen. They were both backing up in horror when they were startled by a hissing noise that came from a tree about a metre behind them. Both girls screamed and jumped in terror at the sound.

This hissing however, wasn't coming from a snake but from two very frightened, scrawny kittens clinging to the bark of a tree. There had been 5 in the litter before the python had discovered them sleeping in a shallow hole beside the tree. The mother cat had returned from hunting to find it had eaten three of her hungry young already. She had attacked the large reptile, but never had a chance. It had struck with deadly force, ending the heroic mother's life and orphaning her remaining two offspring.

They had seen quite a few cats on the island. They were horribly feral and quickly ran off if encountered. These two kittens were no exception. Though only a few weeks old, they were feral. The human presence frightened them as much as the snake's did. Serena turned and headed back to the nut trees wanting to get away from the snake as soon as possible. But Blair was glued to the spot. Her heart went out to the fuzzy babies clinging desperately to the tree. She had no doubt that they were too young to survive on their own and would either die of either starvation or of a death similar to their mother.

"I have to get these kittens, Serena," she said. "I'm not leaving them alone out here. They'll die!"

"They're wild animals," Serena commented. "They'll be fine."

"They're too young to be without a mother!" she insisted. "I'm going to get them."

She turned and ran back to the pistachio trees, emptying out their knapsack. She grabbed it and then hesitated and grabbed some of their leftover dried fish and headed back to the tree, averting her eyes to the snake as it continued to swallow the mother cat.

"Here kitty, kitty," she cooed softly to the kittens while holding out the fish. "Come on babies, I won't hurt you."

The kittens initially hissed and spit some more as she approached with her hand out, but as they caught the scent of the fish, the hissing was replaced with tiny growls as they both snapped at the offered morsels of fish. Keeping her eye on the large snake, Blair slowly brought her other hand up to the tree trunk and lifted the first kitten at the nape of its tiny neck. She placed it with a piece of fish into the knapsack and zipped it shut. She tried the same manoeuvre with the second kitty, and soon successfully zipped the second kitty up inside. She carefully scanned the area to make sure there were no other survivors and then turned around and marched past her stunned friend to retrieve the other nut bag and her water bottle. They walked back to camp in silence. She could not believe what she had done!

**XOXO**

By the middle of the afternoon, Chuck and Nate had reached the beach of a most impressive cove on the inner center of the horseshoe. The water was calm and clear in the protective cove. They headed along the southern shore following it to the topmost piece of beach where the horseshoe began to curl around and head back again along the opposite shore.

They noticed a fairly wide game trail and decided to follow it for a while before quitting and returning home to the caves. There had been nothing besides a few other pockets of fruit trees worth noting on this side. They soon noticed a break in the trees that led into a small clearing. At the end of the clearing was a strange upright stone. They headed over to it and were shocked to see writing. It was the tombstone of Marjorie Grant.

Stacy had brought his wife's ashes to the island they both had loved, to be buried there. Near this serene cove they had once planned their future retirement. It was his promise to her while she lay dying, that he would bring her here for her final rest.

"He really loved her," Nate recalled. "I think Stacy used to come here with her years ago. This is probably where they stayed. She died about 5 years ago. Cancer. He probably didn't want us over on this part of the island for a reason. Maybe we should go."

"I think we need to look around some more," Chuck argued. "If this is where they stayed then maybe we'll find something usable here. Then we'll go."

Chuck turned and headed out of the clearing and started back up the game trail. It continued on up a slight incline, twisting every now and again as it ascended the hill. Soon the sound of running water brought a smile to Chuck's face. He was thirsty and they'd finished their water over an hour ago. Anticipating a cool drink, he hurried along around a new bend in the trail and stopped short. What lay ahead of them was a shock!

On one side of the trail was a lovely stream, which arched its way back down the hills rushing down to meet the sea. Looking up stream it was easy to see its source, a small waterfall coming over the rocky ledge of the hills above. But on the opposite side of the trail was a sight that neither boy could believe. There was a huge house built into the rock face of the hill they'd been climbing. A cave house!

Stacy had found the series of caves years before while exploring the cove. He had enlisted professionals from Southern Spain who had expertise in cave development and had their dream house constructed. Over the years it had been added to in anticipation of retirement. They had had a couple of smaller dwellings constructed for their children and grandchildren to use while visiting and had another cave excavated for eventual use as an animal shelter for simple farming. There was a large clearing beside the second cave that had a terraced look to it. Fruit trees surrounded the clearing as far as the eye could see.

To say it was impressive would be an understatement! It was outstanding. To the boys, they knew it would be home!

**XOXO**

**Chapter 11.**

Serena and Blair had slept in the main cave that night, both missing their men. The kittens however, kept them entertained most of the night. Too little to jump up on the higher stone ledges leading to the outside of the cave, they'd been content to eat the fish the girls had offered them and be played with. Both had settled considerably once they become more familiarized with the girls. They had slept curled up inside Blair's sleeping bags, purring contentedly all night.

She had named the boys Aquilla and Allioth after two constellations she recalled reading about in a science class once. Both had orangey coats, one in a tuxedo pattern, and the other in stripes. She thought them to be very handsome boys and had bonded to the babies already.

Although Serena thought they were fun, she doubted that the Chuck would like them in the cave. He wasn't fond of animals, even those as cute as the two kittens. But Blair didn't care. They were her pets now. She would look after them until they could look after themselves and wanted to go. And when the girls noticed them attack a large spider crawling along the back wall of the cave they appreciated how the kitties might even become useful at keeping their home free of the creepy crawlies.

**XOXO**

It was mid afternoon when the girls saw the small boat slowly approach their shore. They'd been out gathering clams and crabs along the shoreline. Excited, they called and waved to the craft, believing them to be finally rescued. However their disappointment was obvious when they saw that it was just the boys in a rowboat, towing some sort of raft behind them.

However, the fact that the boys had brought a boat was promising, and raised several questions: Where had they found it? Was it strong enough to get them off the island? Why were they towing a raft? Who did the items belong to?

The boys finally landed the small crafts, happy to be greeted by their excited girlfriends. They hauled the boat and raft up onto the sandy beach and tied a long rope from the rowboat around the trunk of a coconut tree so the tide wouldn't drag it out to sea. The boat and raft had been found half buried behind a sand dune on the beach near cave house.

They announced they had some exciting news for the girls, but both needed food and a rest first. The girls hurried back to the main cave to cook the clams and put together some vegetables for a meal while the boys went to wash themselves in the pool closest to the caves.

The discovery of the cave house in the peaceful cove was a shock to the girls. The idea of having a relatively proper home, with real furniture and beds was excellent news indeed! The boys explained that they needed to discuss some options with them, including the major dilemma this cave house caused.

If they chose to move to the location in the protective cove, they would lose the benefit of the main beach and significantly lower the chances of a ship rescue. If they stayed in their current location, they increased their chances of rescue, but would face harsher conditions for the winter. It was decided that they should all spend the night thinking about their options, discuss them as couples and make a decision in the morning. The boys were exhausted and just wanted to rest after their journey. Each couple finally decided to head to their own cave and spend the night quietly.

Back in their own cave, Chuck was not impressed to meet the bundles of joy that Blair had rescued. He had been horrified to hear about the python, and not happy to hear of how Blair rescued its surviving victims. He could not believe that she would remain that close to a huge snake for the sake of some cats!

And he didn't like pets, he reminded her. They were dirty and would take work to feed and clean up after. He was pissed that Blair would keep them despite his objections, but soon changed his mind when he saw them capture a gecko that ran across their sleeping bag. Chuck hated those little things! They blended into the sand and the rock face of the cave. They spooked easily and would scitter across a surface with alarming speed when startled. He'd been horrified the first few times he'd encountered one, almost having a heart attack! If the kittens kept them at bay, he could learn to tolerate them. He finally told Blair that they could stay (like he had final say or something) if she kept them away from him.

The two discussed the pros and cons of the cave house. Chuck went into great detail about what he knew: It had a solar powered generator and a thermal heat system. This meant hot water and some electricity. It had bedrooms with sheets. It had bathrooms with running water and composting toilets. It was secure. The cove was beautiful and could be swam and fished in. There was a waterfall of fresh, clear water very close to them. There were fireplaces and a real wood stove. There was cleared land for planting, and out-buildings for livestock. Compared to their current situation, it was pure luxury!

Their discussions were cut short by the noises of eager coupling from the other cave. Blair looked at Chuck eagerly, but he avoided her eyes. No! He was not going to fall for that again. It was too risky. It was more frustrating than he could believe. Blair was insatiable! Who would ever imagine ... Chuck Bass refusing to get laid!

His refusal to engage in anything sexual was driving Blair nuts. He realized that any other sexual activities, regardless of how minor, were likely to lead him to intercourse as it had the other night! So he had put a ban on all sexual activity between them.

She tried to seduce him, but he wouldn't consider it. Finally unable to bear his avoidance of her, she stormed out of the cave and ran down to the beach. She cried in frustration, not believing that he wouldn't even touch her. Her ovaries were fluttering just like the butterflies in her stomach were. She needed him! She was so pissed off at her body's betrayal, it wasn't even funny. She couldn't remember a time she had ever been so horny! It wasn't fair. Serena and Nate could rut like animals and she was forced to politely listen, but not engage. It wasn't like she could go out and find herself another willing male or anything…. the only other man on the whole island belonged to Serena! Not that she wanted anyone else, but come on! What was she suppose to do? How did that old song go again, she thought? Oh yeah, all revved up with no place to go!

Back in the cave, Chuck was feeling agitated himself. Nate and Serena were on round two of what could be a very sexually prolific evening. He wanted Blair. Badly! He had fought against his own nature when she had been trying to seduce him earlier. He was sure he would be sporting the worst case of blue balls ever after tonight! But the thought of her getting pregnant out here was one he didn't want to even consider. He headed out to the guy's bathroom area to relieve his aching loins. They needed rescuing soon, for the obvious reasons, but also to save his sex life!

Once back at the cave he stared at Blair in disbelief. She had separated the sleeping bags and mats and had put them on opposite sides of the small fire they'd built on the floor of their cave. WTF he thought?

Too bad, she'd informed him. If they weren't _sleeping_ together, than they weren't sleeping together! She had crawled into her bag and cuddled her two fuzzy babies to her chest, cooing softly to them as they purred in contentment at her side.

Sighing, Chuck shook his head and crawled into his own bag. My girlfriend is becoming a cat lady, he thought. They had slept together almost every night since arriving on the island almost six weeks ago. But tonight they lay apart, frustrated, force to listen to the ongoing pleasures of their friends. It was going to be a long night!

When Blair awoke the next morning, the sun was just beginning to shine. She was looking forward to the decision about the new cave. She looked over at Chuck and had to stifle a laugh. Sometime in the night he had grown a kitten collar! Two fuzzy orange balls were tucked up under his chin!

She called to the two kittens and giggled when they stretched across his neck, then scurried off his body over to her. She cuddled them while they purred, then lifted them up to take them to the main cave to feed and litter them. Chuck stirred and stretched, calling good morning to her as she left the cave. She didn't bother answering him, still angry from the night before.

She was surprised to see Serena and Nate already making breakfast. The way they'd been going on last night should have had them sleeping until noon! But, like her, they were excited about the cave.

As they all finally sat around the fire to eat they reached a decision. They would definitely stay on the island. No way was that boat capable of sea travel. For the winter months, all four of them would stay in the cave house. They would build signal fire sites on the beach and watch for planes. In the spring, two of them would come back to this part of the island and watch for ships, while the other two stayed. To be fair, they'd alternate turns.

It was a good plan. They hadn't seen even one ship since landing with Stacy weeks ago. They thought they'd heard a small airplane once, but hadn't seen it. It obviously hadn't seen them either, as their signal fire went unanswered. It was unlikely that there'd be any traffic in this vicinity through the stormy season. Their best bet was to wait for spring and hope for better luck in the future. In the mean time, all electronic bits and bobs along with their food stores and personal belongings would accompany them to the island. Everything else would be cleaned up and put back into storage. They could haul their stuff back on the raft, with the people and cats in the rowboat. If they got busy soon, they'd be at the cave house later that afternoon.

**XOXO**

Despite their sadness at the thought of being stranded until next spring, everyone was excited to go to the new site. It was more spectacular than they could ever have imagined! The girls were dumbstruck upon seeing the beautiful house nestled in the rocky face of the hills. It was huge and inviting with a large door and windows in each main living space. There was a large terrace cut into the rock overlooking the waterfall from the living area, and a large patio area enclosed by a rock fence at the front of the dwelling. There were two smaller caves that had been excavated and set up into separate dwellings for Stacy and Marjorie's sons. The main house had a total of five outfitted bedrooms (two were masters on opposite sides of the cave house with ensuite bathrooms and private terraces), a large kitchen, a guest bathroom and a living room. It also had several undefined rooms that had been excavated but were essentially empty except for items in storage and a laundry facility of sorts. To the girls, it looked like heaven.

They quickly establish territory. Nate and Serena would take the master bedroom behind the kitchen area on one side of the cave, Blair and Chuck would take the other behind the living room area.

As the girls began to set up rooms and explore the house, Blair made a decision that would soon have Chuck seething. She took his suitcase and moved his stuff into a smaller guest room beside the guest bath. Her rule had followed her here. Until he would properly bed her, she would not allow him in her bed. He was obviously scared of temptation, so he could sleep on his own.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 12.**

He supposed he'd had it coming, but he was still pissed. "Point made, Waldorf!" Chuck growled, slamming into his little room past her smirking face, "Point made!"

"You know how to fix this, Bass…," Blair hissed back at him, "…..by _fixing _me."

She knew Chuck well. He always wanted what he couldn't have! She believed if she made herself unavailable to him but unavoidable at the same time, he would surely lose control. And a Bass out of control was easily reeled in. She smiled smugly to herself and put her plan into action.

She would do whatever it took to get him back into her bed willingly. A spray of what was left of her perfume on his pillows was a good start, she'd thought earlier as she placed his things in his room. It would drive him nuts.

**XOXO**

The kids had decided to take it easy that afternoon and become more familiarized with their new surroundings. They would relax for the remainder of the day and then make plans on what else they needed to do to get ready for the winter storms ahead, tomorrow. Blair decided to use the time available to tease Chuck.

After organising the master bedroom to her liking, Blair decided to take a dunk in the stream opposite the cave. She put on her crimson bikini and took some soap and shampoo then announced to the house her intentions. She knew the window in Chuck's room overlooked the stream.

She walked along the banks until she found a place to slip in easily near the small waterfall. She played in the current for a moment getting used to the water and then slid under the falls letting the cool water rush over her body as she lathered herself up. She exaggerated her movements seductively, knowing she had an audience.

Bitch, he thought as his aching crotch became more and more uncomfortable watching her! He groaned in frustration as she caressed her body, her head back and hair in chocolate ribbons reaching down her back. She was beautiful in her game and she knew it.

He knew it was all for his benefit. She was relentless. She knew his weakness and would break him down, fibre by fibre until he succumbed to her will. Dan Humphrey… Dan Humphrey… Dan Humphrey..… he thought in vain, knowing it would be just a matter of time until she had him.

**XOXO**

The four discussed plans during their simple meal about what to start with first. The boys wanted to try hunting. They hadn't had much luck on the other side of the island, but seriously needed to find other sources of protein to eat. They had found a cross bow and a few other hunting supplies of Stacy's, and were excited about the possibilities.

The girls, on the other hand, would take inventory in the garden areas and see what tools, seeds, etc. were there. Serena had somewhat of a green thumb from helping her grandmother every summer at her Hampton's house, and couldn't wait to teach Blair all that she knew. Blair was not happy about this. Anything that caused her already destroyed nails further damage was so not her thing!

After they had all cleaned up, Nate and Serena announced they were going to turn in early. Blair rolled her eyes at the announcement. They all knew that sleeping wasn't on their agenda at all.

Blair headed up to her room and put on a pair of baby dolls, clean from the laundry they had done earlier. She picked up a book she'd chosen from Stacy's bookshelf and curled up on the couch next to Chuck by the fireplace. He was watching the frolicking kittens who had already seemed to have adjusted to their new home.

When the noise of Serena and Nate's activities became evident, Blair began to softly hum. She didn't look at him once, but felt him glaring at her as she lazily twisted her finger around her hair, creating ringlets while she read. Next, she tucked her legs up under her, exposing a thigh to him, pausing to rub a non-existing ache on it.

"Are you about done, Waldorf?" he barked.

"Excuse me?" she questioned innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about!" he snapped.

"No, Chuck," she answered softly, "I don't know anything. Suppose you tell me what's bothering you."

"You… are… a… bitch!" he snapped, getting up and heading outside for a walk. He needed to blow off some steam.

"Love you," she called after him, chuckling as he marched out the door.

When he returned later he found her sleeping on the rug by the fire, two orange puffballs curled up in the curve of her neck under her hair.

"It's lovely, isn't it, boys?" he asked as he gently lifted the kittens off and put them in the box near the fire that Blair had arranged for them earlier.

He gently shook Blair, trying to wake her, but she was dead to the world. Sighing, he scooped her up into his arms, grazing her silky legs (she'd found a razor in the supply cupboard). Her little arms circled around his neck and her head rested on his chest as he took her into her bed. She smelled divine! He gently set her down on her covers and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She whimpered in her sleep as he let go of her. He died a little as well. He covered her up, shook his head again in dismay and headed into his room.

That night he tossed and turned in frustration in the little room by himself. He couldn't get the thought, or the smell, of her out of his head no matter how hard he tried (Her perfume had indeed worked!). It didn't help that Nate and Serena were still at it across the cave! The two couldn't seem to get enough of each other these days! It wasn't fair, he groaned. All he really wanted to do was make agonisingly sweet love to his girlfriend!

Just before daybreak he could stand it no longer. He figured, he had gotten away with it in the tent, so maybe he could do it now! He snuck into Blair's room and curled up beside her in bed. Laying his arm around the curve of her waist and burrowing his nose against her neck, he was asleep in moments.

She woke up knowing immediately she wasn't alone. He was holding her tightly to him, the back of her silky baby dolls stuck to her from his body heat. She felt his firm manhood pressing against her bum, and it made her flush even hotter. She gently ground herself against it, a soft moan escaping from her mouth. If she was careful, she thought, she might be able to…

"Don't even think of it, Waldorf," he mused, knowing exactly what she was considering.

She turned over to face his smirk. "Chuck," she purred to him, sliding one leg over top of him and reaching down to encourage his need. "You're in my bed" she began, knowing she'd won. "My bed….. my rules!"

She captured his mouth in hers as be began to protest, her hands sliding around to the back of his head, tangling in his waves. She kissed him deeply, groaning as her aching need assaulted his ears.

He moaned unintentionally and pulled away from her before it was too late, his body already on fire for hers. Then he saw the tears begin to well up in her eyes. "Blair…," he began.

"No Chuck! You can't do this to me anymore," she insisted as the tears started to fall. "I can't bear to have you reject me again. If you really don't want to touch me then you need to stay away from me because this isn't fair. And it hurts me when you push me away like this! I need a man in my life right now and you need to be that man... in ALL ways!"

He sat up and sighed, shaking his head in frustration.

"You know why we can't do this Blair! It's never been about not wanting you! We're taking too big of a risk. What would happen if you got pregnant? We could be here for a long, long time. We have no doctors here. I couldn't bear to see anything happen to you like it did to my mother if something went wrong!" he protested in earnest.

"So are you telling me that if we're stuck here for the rest of our lives we will never have sex again? Be honest with yourself, Chuck!" she spat. "Are you up for that? I can't stand not being with you for even for a couple of days, let alone months or years or forever!"

"I see it as we've been put here by some twist in fate," she continued. "I believe in destiny… and you're mine! We're here for a reason. I don't particularly want to have a baby right now, but I do in a few years. And you're the one I want to have it with! If it's meant to happen now, so be it! Women have been having babies on this island in caves for countless generations. And if it's meant to be, I'll have one here too. But you are my man, Chuck! And I need you in my bed with me. I need you to take care of me and make love to me. And if you refuse me any longer, I think I'm just going to die," she wailed.

He held her tightly, rocking her lightly as she sobbed into his chest. His heart soared over her confessions to him, but it broke at the same time. "I'm scared," he whispered kissing her at her temple.

"Me too," she confessed, kissing him over his heart. "But I love you so much," she added, "I can't stand to be without you any longer."

He laid her gently back onto the covers and wiped the tears from her eyes, planting soft kisses on each lid. He slid off her baby dolls, kissing her gently all the way down her warm body, stroking her breasts, belly and thighs until she began to arch her body in anticipation. Her center burned with need for him and she gasped as his delft fingers began to tease her inside while his mouth assaulted her core. She screamed as her first climax hit, bucking wildly. She moaned her need for him and he flipped her over on top of him where she impaled herself on him making him yell an agonised, "FUCK!" that woke both their sleeping friends. She rode him until he could stand it no more, and he gripped her hips and helped her slam into him until they both erupt with an intensity that shook their very souls.

This was Chuck's commitment to his love. He swore he'd never put a ban on their activities again.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 13**

The stormy season had taken hold of the island. As the months passed, the rains intensified and storms blew in from the ocean on a regular basis. But for the most part, this particular island was not as wet as others further north tended to get. Between showers the four kept pretty busy. It was a life none could have imagined they'd ever experience. Most days were spent on chores in and around the house as well as gathering, hunting or preparing food.

The boys had begun to have some luck with hunting. They'd managed to shoot a small pig and a few goats on occasion, along with a couple of dear. Most of the meat had been dried in a smoke house on the property.

The girls had been gardening for a couple of months now and were just starting to be able to access some of their produce. It was backbreaking and sweaty work, but both found some satisfaction from it. They also managed the livestock they were beginning to gather.

They had, for example, a small flock of chickens the boys had managed to capture using a large fishing net they'd found in one of the storage areas. Chuck had frightened the roosting birds and Nate had thrown the net over them. Several escaped, but they had caught half a dozen that were now living in a small outbuilding by the cave. The eggs they provided were a treat from the seafood and dried meat diet that had become their staple. While hunting goats the boys had managed to capture a few younger ones using the same technique as they had for the chickens. These were becoming quite domesticated in their enclosure. The kids hoped to breed them as they got older and eventually milk them too.

Nights in the cave house were warm and relaxing after the strenuous activities of the day. Both couples tended to retire early and entertain each other as they knew best.

**XOXO**

It was a warm and humid afternoon and the girls had been out collecting veggies from their garden. It was the warmest day they'd seen in a few months and both girls were wearing t-shirts over top of their bathing suits.

They'd been picking beans for a little over an hour when Serena announced she was getting too hot and her back was aching. She had just slipped her t-shirt off over her head and tossed it beside their basket when Blair noticed the bump.

"Oh my God, Serena," Blair shrieked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Serena asked.

"You're pregnant!" Blair screamed excitedly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Serena looked down at her stomach and laughed at her friend. "I'm afraid not, B," she chuckled covering up her stomach in embarrassment. "I've just put on a winter belly! I haven't been to a gym in months as you know! Nate thinks it's cute, but I hate it!"

"Cute! Ahhh! If you two were any blonder you'd be dangerous, you idiot! That's a baby bump if I've ever seen one," she laughed. "Oh my God, Serena. This is wonderful!"

Serena stared at her friend dumbfounded. "I can't be pregnant!" she insisted. "I was on the Depo shot until last summer. I've only technically missed two or 3 shots. It usually takes a year to start getting your period back again after you stop taking it. I haven't even had one yet!"

"That's because you're pregnant, Serena!" Blair explained and then fired a round of questions at her. "Have you been getting sick in the morning? Have your boobs gotten any bigger? Not that you needed more boobs or anything, but it's a sign."

"Well, I had the flue last month and threw up for a few days," she recalled. "And, yeah, I guess my boobs are bigger too, but that could be because I've packed on the pounds…. You really think I'm pregnant, Blair?"

"Yes," Blair answered. "I think you and Nate are going to have a baby!"

And then the tears came for the girls. They hugged each other in happiness and in fear. With no doctor around and limited resources for them, the thought of giving birth alone out here was horrifying.

"You'll be ok," Blair sniffed, holding her friend. "Somehow we'll just have to manage."

The news came as a shock to both boys. But it was hard to tell who was more scared, Nate or Chuck. Blair was afraid Chuck would put up the sexual ban again, but he didn't. She was grateful for this. The thought of having no sex again was more than she wanted to think about. It made her wonder, however, why she wasn't pregnant herself yet. Maybe she was infertile! After all, they hadn't used birth control all winter.

In Stacy's small library they found a fairly decent medical book. There was a section on childbirth, so at least they had access to some, if limited, information. In addition, the first aide book they had did have a section on labour and delivery. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

**XOXO**

As spring approached Serena's belly seemed to explode in size. Once the baby started to kick they estimated her to be about five months along. They found some baby supplies in one of the smaller caves that had been set up for Stacy's grandson and his family. There was a crib and some bedding along with a few baby clothes and some old-fashioned cloth diapers.

"At least it's something," Serena sighed looking at the humble supplies. "But just think of the fun we could have shopping for this back in New York."

"Well, there is a sewing kit," Blair stated. "And I can sew, you know. How could I have not have learned with Eleanor Waldorf as my mother? We can use some of the extra bedding and those old clothes in the other caves to make a few more outfits if we need to. We can also use those hides the boys have made from the animals. But I'm hoping we're back home by then," she added. "After all, you shouldn't have it until summer."

The plan had remained that they would still go hang on the western beach again once the stormy season had ended. As it was pretty much over now, Chuck and Blair volunteered to go without alternating because of Serena's pregnancy. Nate, however, was horrified to be left alone with her. What if something happened and he couldn't get to the western beach for help? It was giving him nightmares.

So instead, Chuck volunteered to go it alone. He would keep an eye out for ships and planes during the day, and come back on the weekends in the rowboat. It would be a brutal and lonely way to spend the summer, but he was scared for Serena too. He completely understood Nate's concerns. He was just grateful that it was Serena and not Blair who was pregnant.

The morning he started out for the western beach was a tearful one for Blair. She cried as he packed the rowboat with some food and supplies for his comfort. He kissed her deeply, promising he'd be back in a few days. As she watched him row out of sight she felt her stomach clench and turn. She ran from the beach into the bushes and vomited violently.

Afterwards, she made her way up the path on wobbly legs. Serena caught her breath when she saw her pale friend and called for Nate to help her get Blair inside. Blair must be sick, they thought.

After washing herself and scrubbing her teeth, Blair went back to bed and cried. She would miss him horribly, she thought; but she knew it was the best chance they had of getting rescued.

Serena was relieved to see Blair looking like her old self after a few hours. She needed help tending the animals and wanted company to go fruit picking later. The rest of the day passed without incident, but Blair cried herself to sleep that night.

When she felt the nausea strike the moment she got up the next morning, Blair was upset but handled it well. She vomited in the bathroom and tidied herself once again. Must be my nerves, she thought. But when it happened again for the next couple of mornings her suspicions began to grow. It was then that she realized she too might be pregnant.

She became an emotional whirlwind. She was excited! She was mad! She was scared! She didn't know what to think. Her biggest concern however, wasn't about being pregnant, but what Chuck's reaction would be to that pregnancy! He was going to flip! She figured for now she just wouldn't say anything. With any luck they'd be back in New York before it became too obvious.

**XOXO**

As the weeks passed they got into a routine. Chuck would stay alone on West Beach (as they now referred to it as) during the week and Nate would stay there on the weekends until Serena looked closer to her delivery time. Blair hid her morning sickness for the next few weeks until it subsided. She had tender boobs and was tired as hell, but was not showing at all. Chuck suspected nothing; although Serena was beginning to look at her funny.

But there was one symptom of her pregnancy she couldn't hide. She had horrible mood swings! These were caused by her wickedly changing hormones. They were raging havoc on her. Blair blamed the mood swings on Chuck's absence. She cried daily at almost nothing, she was bitchier than normal, and then would become giddy over nothing. It was driving Nate nuts!

"Man, you need to stay here for a week or two, Chuck," he insisted. "Your woman is so moody it scares me!"

"That's ok. Nate," Chuck chuckled. "You can deal with it for me. After all, my job is to find us a ship." The thought of spending every day with Blair with her moods these days was not appealing to him in the least.

He assumed her moods were because she was missing him, like she claimed. He tried to make it up to her on the weekends when he came back to the cave house. She was always eager to see him, and the sex they had when he got home was unbelievable.

It was like she couldn't get enough of him! She would drag him to bed immediately after supper and they would make love for hours! It seemed like he'd just fall asleep and she was ready to go again! Not that he was complaining, but she was wearing him right out! She seemed insatiable.

The fact of the matter was Blair's hormonal shift had increased her libido substantially! When she wasn't sleeping (because she did a lot of that these days too) or eating, she was wanting sex. She wanted it hard, she wanted dirty and she wanted it often! She would accost him in the bath, in the stream, in the rowboat, in the garden, in the forest, in the kitchen, in the laundry room and even in the animal enclosure! By the end of each weekend he often felt the need of a holiday from her advances! It was crazy!

He finally addressed the issue with her one Saturday evening after he had pleasured her for the third time. He was absolutely exhausted! "Blair," he stated, holding her in his arms and kissing her softly on the temple, "Suppose you tell me what is going on with your libido these days."

She pulled away and looked at him, "What do you mean, Chuck?"

"I mean," he continued cautiously, "You are stroking my ego in the romance department in more ways than one these days. I'm just wondering why you seem to need so much sex?"

Her eyes started to well up and her lip quivered. "Don't you not want me anymore?" she asked trying hard not to let her emotions run away with her. "Am I not attractive to you any more?"

"No, Blair, that's not what I mean," he said wanting to kick himself as he watched a fat tear drip down her cheek and noted others pooling up behind it. She cried so easily these days!

"I love making love with you," he continued. "It's just that it seems so different somehow. I mean it's like you can't get enough of me or something, like I'm not able to please or satisfy you enough these days. I guess what I'm saying is that I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I need you to tell me what's going on."

"I can't," she whispered as the tears started to rain down. "I'm sorry to be such a bother, Chuck. I really am sorry."

Her words sent a chill down his spine. Something was going on. She was definitely holding something big back from him. "What do you mean by 'you're sorry,' Blair?" he anxiously asked. "What could you possibly be sorry about?"

"I can't tell you!" she wailed. "You're going to hate me!"

"Blair! Tell me what's going on!" he demanded, panic rising up in him. "You're scaring me! Tell me what the hell is going on?" he yelled.

There was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Chuck, what's going on? Is everything ok?" Serena asked.

"No, everything is not ok." Chuck snapped. "Something is going on with Blair and she won't tell me what it is. She's freaking me out!"

"B, are you ok? Do you want to talk to me about what's bothering you?" Serena asked in her NJBC mode. "You know you can tell me anything."

"No, Serena, I have to talk to Chuck, I'm just scared he's going to be mad at me again and I don't want him hating me," she sobbed, a new burst of tears streaming down.

"I could never hate you, Blair," Chuck vowed. "I love you too much. Please tell me what's going on," he begged holding her tightly to his chest and stroking her head. "Please!"

She burrowed her head into his chest. This was just so difficult. "It's just that I… I… I'm pregnant!" she wailed. "Please don't hate me!"

"You're what?" they both asked her at once.

"I said, I'm fucking pregnant," she howled.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 14**

He was livid. Not at Blair, but at himself. He'd known it would happen eventually. How could it not when they'd had sex almost every single night (and quite often in morning, afternoon or whenever) all winter! Now he had two pregnant females to worry about.

He just held her, knowing a bad reaction from him would not be the best thing for her just now. It was done; there was nothing he could do about it now. "Hush Blair, it's ok," he soothed rocking her gently again. "It'll be alright. I promise."

"You mean it?" she asked through her sobs. "You don't hate me? You don't hate our baby?"

"How could I possibly ever hate you…..," he reassured, looking deep into her tear filled eyes, "…when I love you so much! And of course I don't hate the baby. How far along do you think you are?" he asked.

"Maybe four months or so," she replied wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling sadly at him.

He erupted. "Four months or so! Jesus Blair, why didn't you tell, me earlier?"

"I didn't want to upset you. I said I was sorry!" she sobbed, starting to cry again.

"It's ok," he said, pulling her back into a hug. "But you have to tell me these things. This is kind of important!"

"I know," she whispered. "Please don't be angry at me."

"I'm not," he promised. "We'll be ok. Let's just go to sleep, I'm sure we're both pretty tired."

It was an understatement. He was exhausted. But while he held her to him that night he barely slept. They were going to have a baby… soon. When it was just Serena who was pregnant it was important to get off this island, but now that Blair was pregnant too, it was urgent. He was scared to death. If ever he needed a drink, it was now!

**XOXO**

The next day was another clear and extremely warm one. The girls were cleaning out the goat pen and Chuck had gone off with his hunting toys to bring in something fresh for supper. Serena was bubbly and animated. Knowing her best friend was pregnant too was happy news.

"Just think, B. The kids will be best friends too! I'm so glad my baby will have someone to play with him or her."

"What do you think you're having, S?" Blair asked her friend looking at her heavy stomach riding over her bikini bottoms. The thought of her own stomach poking out that much was disturbing. She couldn't even fathom it!

"I think I'd like a boy first, but Nate really has his heart set on a little girl," she chirped rubbing her belly. The baby had been kicking so hard these days it was getting uncomfortable. "I guess it doesn't matter, as long as it's healthy."

"Are you scared?" Blair asked her friend.

"Not really," she replied. "I mean I guess a little, knowing it's going to hurt and all, but women have been doing this for years, right? How hard could it be? Are you scared?" she asked. "… Because Chuck looked horrified this morning when he headed out!"

"I guess a little, but no, not really. I love him so much. I'm really happy I'm having his baby. I'm just scared it might drive him off. He's so scared after what happened to his mother when she had him. I'm sure he thinks I'm going to die! I just wish we would get off this island, Serena. I want to go home so much!"

"You know, to be honest with you, the only thing I really miss about being home is my mom and Eric. Oh, and maybe ice cream! Mmmmmm, a double scoop of Brownie delight! Dipped! With sprinkles!"

"Stop it, S," Blair laughed, "I would give almost anything for an ice cream cone right now! Or a cookie! Or my dad's pumpkin pie!" She sighed. "I miss my dad, and my mom and Dorota!" She started to cry.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry again," Serena apologised, enveloping Blair in a big bellied hug. She wished her friend wasn't so sensitive these days.

The rest of the day was spent as usual. The girls finished their chores and Blair packed up some food for Chuck to take with him back to West Beach. She hated to send him off like this every week. It just wasn't fair. Once Serena had her baby she fully intended on going with him. She didn't like being away from him like this.

"Fuck!" Chuck yelled as he stepped out the front door of the cave house. "Those stupid cats have done it again!"

Blair laughed. There must be another dead rat by the door, she thought. Her kittens had become adult cats by now and were very protective of their domain. They worked hard at keeping the property around the cave house rat and creepy crawly free. They proudly displayed their slain enemies at the foot of the door, much to the dismay of Chuck.

Secretly, however, Chuck was pretty impressed with the orange fur balls. They stayed outside most of the time unless it was raining and they were extremely prolific hunters! They hardly ever ate food that was offered them, preferring to eat their own prey. They were friendly to everyone, and absolutely adored Blair. She alone could beckon them back to kill a spider or a small lizard in the house with just a slight call of 'here kitty, kitty.' Otherwise, they answered to no one. It was funny, he thought, but he could relate!

He came into the kitchen and stopped to wash his hands before wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. "I'm starving!" he said. He held out two freshly killed chickens and asked her to boil water so he could scald, pluck and gut them.

"I'll do it for you," Blair responded, reaching out to take them from him. "Don't look so surprised," she laughed upon seeing the startled expression on his face. "Serena and I have been doing this for Nate for awhile."

He was stunned. "Who are you and what have you done to my girlfriend?" he laughed handing her the birds. "This I have to see!"

He was impressed. She cleaned the birds quickly and efficiently without a grimace or a complaint. Blair Waldorf had shocked him once again. He never, ever could have seen her able to do this. Hell, he could hardly stomach doing it himself and they'd been doing it for almost a year! Seeing Blair there in a bikini covered in feathers and bird viscera was surreal. Primitive almost. It actually kind of turned him on. She laughed at his open mouthed grin, handing the cleaned birds over to Serena to start cooking.

"Ughh!" she groaned looking at herself. "I need a shower!"

She headed over to the stream across from the house and dove into a favourite spot, coming up near the falls to grab the soap and homemade shampoo they always left near by. She peeled off her bikini and gave it a quick wash, then threw it up on the rocky ledge and then began washing herself. She looked up and laughed to see Chuck peeling away his shorts and diving in after her.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?" he asked, circling his arms around her soapy neck.

'No, I don't believe you have," she replied coyly, beginning to lather his chest up with soap.

"Well I do," he stated, planting a gentle kiss on her mouth. "Very much," he added. "You absolutely blow me away," he admitted. "Just when I think I know absolutely everything there is to know about you, you go and do something so out of character, it amazes me."

"I love you too, Chuck," she smiled, deepening the kiss as she continued covering him with soap, now around to his back." She broke the kiss and reached over to get a luffa sponge. Lathering it up, she slid behind him and caressed it over his skin, coming around again to his chest. He took it from her and reciprocated, letting a small moan of pleasure escape from her mouth.

He hurled the sponge back on the shelf and gathered her up in his arms. His mouth hungrily kissed hers, and she ran her fingers into his hair. He lifted her until she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her under the gentle rush of water from the falls.

Once her back was against the waterfall wall he entered her, causing a gasp to escape from her lips. She arched her pelvis to allow him to penetrate deeper and they both moaned with pleasure as he filled her. She was so hot it wouldn't take much, he thought.

"Chuck!" she gasped in ecstasy. "Faster!" she pleaded as he burrowed his mouth into her neck.

"No, I want this to last awhile," he growled, gritting his teeth and slowing down. He began to suck and bite on her neck, loving the little mewling noises she panted in his ear as the water gently ran over their bodies. He began to pull out, and then slammed into her hard. He repeated this again and again, feeling her insides clench him and struggle to keep hold as he withdrew each time.

"Blair," he called feeling his orgasm approaching. She arched again and held him tight as his next thrust sent her into spasm and he exploded into her. She tightened her legs around him and began to grind, causing a whimper as he continued to ride out her waves. "Fuck!" he yelled.

**XOXO**

It was a sweltering morning in June when Blair started yelling for a very pregnant Serena to come out to the goat pen. "Something's wrong with Ebony" she cried.

The animal was Blair's favourite. With a jet-black coat, she stood apart from the other goats they had captured. Lately they'd noticed that she seemed swollen and lethargic, probably due to some kind of parasite. Lacking any kind of veterinary skills, they'd taken special care of her the best they could for last few days with no results.

Blair cried as she watched the animal in obvious distress. Her sides heaved and she baa'ed painfully. The other goats seemed to want to stay away from her.

"What do you think is wrong with her, B?" Nate asked, scratching his head. He was worried about the small animal too, but had no idea what to do about it. "Maybe I should just put it out of its misery."

"Nate!" Serena snapped, "How can you even think such a thing? Can't you see how upset this is making Blair?"

Blair was on her knees with her arms wrapped around the animal's neck. She was trying to sooth it, speaking gently and stroking its sides as it continued to heave.

All of a sudden Nate screamed, "Oh my God, there's something coming out of it!"

Blair stood up and looked at the little goat. Sure enough a grey bubble appeared at its backside.

"Ewww," Serena screeched. "What is it?"

"I think Ebony is having a baby!" Blair replied happily. "She's not sick! She's in labour!"

The three friends gave the animal some space. Sure enough the next time Ebony heaved, the bubble got bigger. After a few more contractions the bubble broke with a gush of fluid, causing both Nate and Serena to gag.

A small black head and some hooves were hanging out of it now. Nate and Serena were horrified, but Blair was mesmerised. She walked over to the animal and took the kid by its hooves. With the next contraction she helped pull it free from its mother in another large gush of fluid and blood. Nate promptly puked.

"Better get used to it Nate," Blair laughed. "This will be happening to Serena any day now."

They watched the mother clean off its young, then decided to leave her be when it looked like she was going to eat the afterbirth. It was almost more than Nate could handle in one day. He spent the remainder of it in bed.

When the next weekend came Chuck announced that he would stay to help until Serena's baby was born. Serena was constantly tired these days and her back had been killing her. She was unable to get comfortable enough to sleep for more than a few hours at a shot. It was obvious that the baby had dropped and she was likely to go into labour at any time.

Nate was a wreck. He was scared to death over the delivery, especially after watching Ebony give birth. He'd explained to Chuck that watching the goat give birth almost did him in... and he didn't even like goats. He insisted that Blair was now the official midwife after pulling that kid from its mother. He was impressed by her compassion and lack of fear in the situation.

Chuck found Nate's panic pretty hilarious, but he was also worried about the upcoming birth. If anything went wrong, they could lose both mother and child. To add to his concern, Blair's stomach had begun to protrude nicely as well. Their child was extremely active and constantly kicked its mother. It made Chuck question how far along Blair really was. Without an ultrasound, no one could be sure. She seemed to be progressing in her pregnancy far faster than Serena had.

It was a week after Ebony had dropped her kid that Nate woke them in the middle of the night. He was in a total flap. "I think Serena's in labour!" he called through their door. "Blair, hurry, she needs you!"

**XOXO**

**Chapter 15**

"Stay with her, Nate. I think it's going to be a long time yet," Blair told the worried young father to be. "The book says that the average labour is about twelve hours long. When her contractions are getting to be about a minute or so apart, she's close."

Nate was a nervous wreck. He entered their bedroom hesitantly, not really sure of what to expect. Serena lay on her side, a pillow between her legs to ease the pain on her back.

"Hi," she said quietly to her boyfriend. "I'm sorry if I'm scaring you."

"Its ok, Serena," he told her, climbing up next to her and placing his arm around her big belly. "Blair says you should try to rest if you can. The baby probably won't be here for a long time yet."

"Don't leave me Nate," she pleaded holding his hand against her stomach. "I'm scared."

"I won't leave," he promised, placing a kiss against her neck. "I promise."

Back in her bedroom Blair started to get dressed. She knew it was going to be a long day and she had a lot she needed to do to get ready for the baby.

"Come back to bed Blair," Chuck urged. "It's too early to get up."

"I can't, Chuck. I have to do a lot of things before she gets too far along in her labour."

Blair headed out into the early morning air. The sun was just starting to rise behind the hills. It promised to be a beautiful day.

She opened the pen on the chickens' enclosure to allow them out to scratch and forage. She took her container and proceeded to gather the eggs from the nest boxes. She hoped Serena could eat something for breakfast this morning. She wanted her to have her strength for later in the delivery.

Next she went over to the goat pen. She let them out too, paying special attention to Ebony and her jet-black kid she'd named Joy. She wanted to try and milk the goat today, but needed someone to help her. As Nate and Serena were obviously busy, that left Chuck. She knew this might be an ordeal. He really didn't like animals!

Once she made sure the animals were taken care of she brought the eggs back into the kitchen to be prepared later for breakfast. She headed into the laundry room and started their small washing machine, again uttering a prayer of thanks for the solar cells on the roof of the cave house that gave them a little electricity. She wanted to re-wash the bedding and clothing again for the baby.

The boys had brought in the small crib from the neighbouring cave and had cleaned it up in preparation of the birth. It was already in their bedroom, ready to go. Once washed, she hung the items up to dry in the early morning sun, hoping them to be warm and dry by the time Serena delivered.

Once she noticed Chuck up she enlisted his help with the goat. Blair intended on holding Ebony's front end steady while Chuck tried to get milk from her swollen utter at the backside of her. He was not impressed!

"I'm glad you think this is so funny, Blair," he sneered as he sat on the rock Blair had had him move to the goat pen earlier that week. "Tell me what to do before I chicken out."

"The great Chuck Bass afraid of a set of teats," Blair giggled as she handed him the soap and a wet rag from a small container of water she'd brought for that purpose. "You should probably wash her off first really well. It looks pretty dirty to me."

Chuck shook his head and lathered up Ebonies udder with the warm soapy mixture, carefully cleaning each teat as he went along. Ebony baa'd gently, not seeming to mind the attention to her. Once he'd rinsed them off Chuck asked Blair, "What next?"

"I guess you milk her now, Chuck," she replied, hiding her smirk into the animal's neck. She stroked the goat while Chuck tried to work his magic.

He began pulling at her teats the way he supposed you would on a cow. But very little came out. The goat, baa'd a little more and raised its leg in aggravation. Chuck jumped up off the rock, kicking over the container and spilling what little milk he'd collected onto the ground.

"Fuck," he yelled backing away from the goat, "That thing tried to kick me."

"You mustn't be doing it right or something," Bair suggested. "Try again."

"Maybe we should just leave it alone. I don't really like milk anyways," he lied.

"No, Chuck, this can be done," Blair encouraged. "And with the other females pregnant I think we can get plenty of milk from them. This might be important if either Serena or I have problems nursing."

"I didn't think of that," he sighed sitting back down on the rock again and setting the container back under the goat. "But hold it still so it doesn't do anything to me. That thing freaks me out!"

He began again pulling at the teats, but still very little came out. He decided to try anther tactic thinking how a more gentle, consistent pressure might have more results. He was rewarded with a steady stream from Ebony.

"Yeah!" encouraged Blair as she patted the goat. "See, I knew you'd be a natural!"

Chuck continued to milk her for another ten minutes or so. His hands were getting sore and there was only a little milk in the container. "You want a turn, Waldorf?" he asked, pulling the milk container away so it didn't get spilled.

"Sure, if you hold onto Ebony," she agreed.

Blair assumed the position on the rock while Chuck kneeled by the front of the goat. He put an arm around the animal and looked back as Blair began to milk her without effort. He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, holding back the dirty comments he so wanted to throw her way.

"Shut up Bass," she told him. "Don't even think of commenting."

"You know me too well," he laughed and then yelled, "Hey, stop that!" to Ebony as she began to nibble on his hair.

They finally had enough milk from the goat to satisfy Blair. They'd taken turns at the milking again once their hands had gotten achy. Chuck was disappointed his girlfriend had better luck working the teats than he did.

After washing up, Blair made them all breakfast. She served Serena some scrambled eggs with fruit and surprised her with a mango and banana smoothie she'd made from their first milk. Serena told her it was delicious. Once Blair had checked her friend out she brought the dishes back to the kitchen and sent Nate back to stay with his girlfriend. "We still have a long ways to go," she informed him.

Blair sent Chuck out to work in the garden while she puttered around in the house. She reread the section on emergency child birth in the first aide book and double checked that she had all the supplies she might need.

The rest of the day passed without too much commotion. When Serena's contractions started to become stronger at about two or three minutes apart, Blair suggested they take her to the stream to relax in the cool water. Serena's back was getting increasingly sore as her labour intensified.

The boys got her to the stream and Nate climbed in with her. The relief was evident by the look on Serena's face as she lay back in the water, Nate behind her.

Chuck went back to the garden, happy to have a task to keep him busy. This whole business had him scared to death. He almost wished he was back at West Beach by himself where he wouldn't have to watch the incident that was unfolding before his very eyes.

After about an hour, Blair called to Chuck to help get Serena up out of the stream and into the house. Blair thought she was getting close to her time to deliver.

He winced as he watched his stepsister contort with the next painful contraction as he and Nate helped walk her into the house. Nate looked like he'd aged considerably. He was almost ashen in color and looked shrunken!

Blair told Chuck to go and get the bedding off the line and asked Nate to help set up the materials for the birth. They spread a tarp with an old sheet under her bum. Serena was panting in pain as the contractions now seemed to come one right after the other. When her water broke with a gush, Blair knew they were close. Nate paled and began to weave back and forth.

"Jesus Nate," Blair snapped. "Sit down or leave the room or something. I don't need to deal with you passing out."

He sat. Blair propped Serena up on her pillows and had her open her legs so she should look inside at what was going on. To her Serena looked like the photos in the first aid book.

"I think you're ready to deliver, "she told her friend. "When the next contraction hits, push through the entire contraction!"

Serena held her breath and began to push when the next set of contractions began. This continued on for about half an hour. She was becoming exhausted and told Blair she didn't think she could do it any more.

"You can't stop, Serena," Blair encouraged her, "You're crowning. I see hair! And a lot of it! You're almost done, now push!"

Nate got up and sat by his girlfriend's head, holding her hand while she struggled to give birth to their child.

Chuck came in just as Serena began to deliver the head with a scream. He blanched as he caught sight of it when he walked in the door. He quickly retreated. "Holy fuck!" he squealed.

"Ok Serena, you're almost there. The next contraction you need to push really hard, ok," she encouraged. "The baby is almost out."

On the next contraction Serena let loose a blood-curdling scream as she delivered her child's shoulders. The rest of it followed quickly. The baby was out!

Blair picked up the child and held it up so its mother could see it. Both Nate and Serena were crying. Blair held the baby upside down and wiped the fluid away from its mouth and nose with a clean towel. She smiled as the baby began to cry. It looked perfect.

"He's perfect," Blair told her friends. "You have a beautiful baby boy!"

Chuck came back in the room when he heard the baby crying. He saw all three of his friends cry and his stomach lurched. "What's wrong?" he gasped in concern.

"Nothings wrong," Blair told him. "Come and see for yourself."

Chuck watched as his girlfriend washed the baby off in warm water and then tied and cut the cord. She wrapped the infant up and handed it to Serena. "Congratulations," she told her and Nate.

When Serena was ready to deliver the afterbirth both boys fled the room taking the baby with them. Blair tidied up the birthing mess and washed up her friend. She made sure Serena was comfortable and told her she should try and nurse the baby and then rest. Then she'd bring her something to eat.

"Blair," Serena called to her as she started to leave the room. "Thank you. You were wonderful. I don't think I could have done this without you. I'm really grateful you were here to help me with this."

"It's ok, S. I'll have Nate bring the baby back in for you to feed," she replied.

Blair hurried to clean up the birthing mess, stopping in the living area for a moment to give instructions to the boys. She was exhausted. She asked Nate to take the baby back to his girlfriend and told them both they needed to tend to the animals, milk the goat again and get supper started.

After she cleaned up the birth mess, she brought Serena in some tea and a light meal. Finally she headed into her bedroom. After a quick bath, Blair lay down on her bed, completely drained. She was out in moments.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 16**

When Blair woke up hours later the whole house was in chaos! It seems that Ebony really wasn't fond of Nate's cold hands on her udder. The boys had tried milking the goat for over an hour. Chuck managed to get a fair amount out of her, but Nate wasn't having much luck. He ended up pinching instead of stroking a teat and the goat lost it. In frustration she bucked and her hoof shot out, connecting with several fingers on Nate's left hand.

Nate was screaming bloody murder in the kitchen, Chuck was doubled over in fits of laughter, the baby was screaming and Serena was in tears. Blair just wanted to go back to bed! She hollered at Chuck to stop laughing, for Nate to man-up and for Serena to go and look after her baby.

What to deal with first? She thought of the priorities and decided that checking on the newest member of their household was the most important. She went into Serena's room and spotted the new mother fussing over the baby. Serena told Blair he had just been fed. He was just wet and fussy. The old fashioned diapers must be very uncomfortable when wet, she thought.

Her next course of action was her goat. She checked on Ebony to make sure that she was not in distress. The small animal had been separated from her kid for milking and was anxious. Blair reunited mother and baby back in the pen and made sure everything was secure. She stopped a moment to stroke her two cats that were obviously thrilled to see her. She noted a large dead weaselly –looking thing by the door of the cave house as she headed back inside.

She was pleased to see the milk had been salvaged and she could smell some kind of meat cooking in the pot on the woodstove. She sent Chuck out to clean up the dead thing by the door and told Nate to sit down so she could look at his fingers.

The last three fingers on his left hand looked bad. Though no bones poked out through the skin, they appeared broken or at least severely bruised. There was no deformity, but they were extremely swollen. She got out the first aide book and decided her best course of action was to splint them. She headed outside to the pile where they kept their wood and tore a chunk of bark from a sizable log. She asked Chuck to get a hatchet and cut her off a small piece where the wood had a natural curve to it.

When he brought it in, Blair had Nate hold it in his left hand. She began to wrap his entire hand around it and then taped the works. It wasn't the prettiest looking device, but if he kept his hand like that, it might heal normally. It was the best he could hope for. She gave him some aspirin from the kit and told him to keep it elevated and go and see his girlfriend.

When things had settled, she gave Chuck hell!

But he couldn't help but grin at her. He was so just so proud of how she had taken control over everything today, he couldn't help it. Finally he just wrapped his arms around her and told her he loved her.

She pushed him away in mock disgust and proceeded to check on dinner. She scraped the cream from the milk and poured the rest into a bowl and whipped it up with crushed fruit for Serena as a smoothie. She told Chuck to take it upstairs and come back to help her with dinner. He did as he was told.

When he returned she gave him the jar she'd put the cream in. She told him to shake. When he raised an eyebrow in question she explained she wanted butter to go with the potatoes they had roasting in the stove for dinner. He was impressed. She had remembered a task they had done on a grade school field trip to a farm. When the cream turned to butter she made him set the table and mash the potatoes. He grinned the entire time, enjoying how domestic the entire evening was. This was family like he'd never experienced before and he loved it.

With the baby asleep, Nate helped his girlfriend to the table for supper. The four sat and Serena gave a short thank you speech to Blair for the safe delivery of the child. She was embarrassed but pleased. When it had mattered most she had not been weak at all.

Later when everything had settled and they were alone in their room, Chuck and Blair made gentle, sultry love. He held her to his heart, loving the way her hand caressed the silky hairs on his chest.

"If we ever get off this island," he began as he placed a kiss on her temple, "I want you to marry me. I never thought I could love someone as much as I do you. You are my family. I can't imagine ever being apart from you after this."

She sat up and straddled his hips, looking deeply into his amber eyes. "I love you too," she admitted. And if we ever get off this island, I will marry you. I already feel like you're my husband," she confessed kissing his mouth.

"I wish I had a ring to give you," he admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed at having nothing to offer.

"I have something better than your ring," she said to him laying her head back down to his heart. "I have your heart."

**XOXO**

With his hand out of commission, Nate was not able to begin taking turns again at West Beach. Blair was devastated. She was hoping to spend some quality time with Chuck for a change and then had planned on accompanying him back to the caves for their turn on ship watch.

But with Nate only having one functional hand, there was little point in him going. He wouldn't be able to row to get there, nor could he hunt properly to feed himself. It was decided Chuck would go it alone again and that Blair would stay until Serena was back on her feet with no complications. Then she would leave the next time Chuck went back.

In the mean time most of the chores fell on Blair. She got Nate weeding in the garden a bit and doing some simple house chores, but all the hard manual labour fell on her. By the end of the week Serena had established a routine with her son and was able to begin to help out more. They found that Andrew slept well in the shade of the cave house by the garden and Nate or Serena could watch him while the others worked. Serena also had learned how to charm the goat. Ebony allowed her to milk her, and as the days increased, so did her milk production. Nate stayed clear of the beast.

By the end of the week, Blair was exhausted. Her ever increasing, swollen stomach seemed to almost burst through her skin and the baby was relentless in its kicking. She had a chronic back ache and had begun to spot a little. She rested when she could, which was seldom. There always seemed like there was so much to do.

On the afternoon that they expected Chuck to return, Blair decided she wanted fresh meat for supper instead of dried. She convinced Nate to take her hunting. Armed only with a spear, a hunting knife and his crossbow, the two headed into the forest on one of the island's game trails. They'd been gone almost all afternoon without luck when Nate spotted a smaller sized pig rummaging through the undergrowth. He had Blair aim with the crossbow and let it fly just as the nasty beast looked up. Unfortunately, she missed her target, only grazing the animal's side.

An angry pig is dangerous thing. And this pig was mad! It rushed at the two hunters squealing and frothing at the mouth, looking, Blair thought, like something from a B grade horror flick! It charged full throttle at them. Blair leapt out of the way just as Nate threw the spear at it. It went shoulder deep, but still didn't kill the beast. The animal got up and lunged at Nate who had slipped in some liana vines and had fallen over backwards.

Without thinking, Blair pulled the hunting knife out of its sheath and jumped on the beast just as it was about to attack Nate. She slid the knife deep into its throat and watched in horror and amazement as it dropped dead at Nate's feet. She withdrew the blade and promptly puked from where she was on top of the pig in the underbrush.

Nate looked at Blair in shock and then erupted into fits of laughter. In his entire life he'd never seen a funnier sight in his life then Blair on top of a wild pig. He got to his feet and helped her to stand once she felt steady enough to do so. He had her carry the weapons back and he hoisted the animal over his shoulders to bring home.

Once home, Blair asked Serena to heat some rocks for the pig to roast outside in a pit oven. She desperately needed a bath and her bed. Once in the bathroom her heart almost stopped when she noted heavy bleeding coming from her vagina. She had a cool shower and then packed her panties with cotton pads (no other sanitary supplies were available). She crawled into bed and prayed she hadn't killed her baby.

A few hours later she was awoken by Chuck who had come in to give her hell about the pig. He had torn a strip off of Nate already. A pregnant woman should not be out hunting wild pigs! Especially his pregnant woman! He was concerned about how much work Blair had to do now with Serena and Nate at half capacity.

One look at her told enough. She was fevered and slightly puffy in the face and ankles. She had a slightly waxy look to her skin. Her back was in agony. He proceeded to give her hell until she broke down in tears. She told him she was bleeding a lot and was afraid.

When she checked herself, however, she was relieved to notice the bleeding had pretty well stopped. She gave a little prayer of thanks and climbed back into her bed. Chuck confined her to bed for an undetermined amount of time and announced to them all that he was not going back to West Beach again until after things had settled completely here and she was ok, or until she had her baby in a few months time. He realized their window of opportunity for rescue this summer had likely just closed.

**XOXO**

A week later a fishing schooner, well off its normal course because of a drunken sailor, sailed just short of the coral reef off West Beech. Unfortunately, no one was there to see it.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 17**

For the next few weeks the girls, especially Blair, relaxed and played with Andrew. Serena started to take on a more active role in keeping the household going. Two other goats had dropped kids and they were now milking three goats a day.

Blair was stuck wearing Chuck's Polo shirts as dresses. Her stomach was as round as a basketball. Her back ached constantly and her ankles were often swollen, but she seldom spotted these days. All along the baby continued to brutally kick its mother. Serena referred to the child as 'the Spawn of Chuck'

Chuck had to agree. He would often wonder how Blair managed to sleep at all with the constant movement in her belly. He would sometimes lay his head on her tummy and sing to the baby, trying to get it to settle. He wasn't successful, but was sometimes rewarded with a small kick to the head. He often fell asleep with his arms around her, feeling the motion of their child under his hands.

It had been about six weeks since the birth of Serena and Nate's son when Blair went to bed with a worse than average back ache. Chuck was horribly worried about her. She had grown lethargic over the last few days and had started spotting again. He turned in early himself, not wanting to leave his girlfriend alone.

"I'm sorry," he apologised. "I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better."

"I know," Blair returned, backing into him on the bed so he could curl around her. "It's nice just having you here with me. I love you so much," she told him.

"I love you too," he whispered placing a kiss on her neck and an arm around her tummy.

The two soon fell asleep.

About three o'clock in the morning Blair's water broke.

"What the fuck?" Chuck screeched feeling himself instantly become part of a puddle in his once clean bed. "Blair what just happened?" he asked, "Did the baby kick your bladder again?"

"I…, I think my water just broke," she answered him.

"But it's too early isn't it?" he asked as panic started to set in. "We didn't figure this would happen for another two months or so, right? What are we going to do if the baby's premature?"

"I don't know, Chuck. But I'm scared," she admitted as she started to cry. "Go and wake Serena please."

Chuck hurried to the other side of the cave house to wake Nate and Serena. They had just fallen back to sleep after feeding and changing Andrew and were both pretty groggy.

"What's the matter, Chuck?" Serena asked as she slipped on a nightgown and answered the door. "Is something wrong? Is it Blair?"

"Her water just broke, Serena. And I'm worried. I think it's way too early for this baby to be born yet," he stressed. "Can you get what you need to deliver the kid. I'm not sure if she's in labour or not, but her back has been bad all day."

Just about them they heard a blood curling scream come from Chuck and Blair's bedroom.

The three ran into the room and saw Blair crouched on the floor in the bathroom. A pool of blood and fluid was at her feet. "I, I think it's coming" she gasped as she felt another pain rip through her back and around to her stomach. She screamed again. "Chuck, check me," she yelled.

"What am I checking for?" he asked in shock not having a clue what to do.

Blair raised her legs, knees up and spread herself in front of him. "Look up inside me! WHAT... DO… YOU... FUCKING… SEE?"

"I don't know Blair. Fuck, this is horrible!" he wailed in despair "I'm so sorry!"

"Serena, get the book!" Blair screeched in pain. "I need someone to tell me if I'm dilated enough to push this thing out of me. Hurry!"

"What can I do?" Nate asked all in a frenzy. He kept telling himself not to puke, because he really did want to help.

"Get behind me and support my back," she instructed. "If I'm delivering soon it's going to be here on the bathroom floor. I need you to support my back, it's killing me."

Nate sat between Blair and the bathroom wall. He put his arms around her and let her lean back into him. "Is this ok?" he asked.

"Yes, thank- you," she told him and she shoved back into him hard and cried as the next contraction hit. They were coming quick! Serena and Chuck were looking frantically from the book to Blair's crotch and then back to the book again.

"Is it similar? ….. I need to be opened all the way or I won't be able to deliver or could bleed to death. This is kind of important!" Blair stated anxiously.

Chuck had tears rolling down his face by now. He was horrified to fuck this up. He was afraid the baby was too early and would probably die anyways, and if Blair lived through this and the kid died, it could ruin her forever. But if anything happened to Blair and he lost her too, he was sure he would also die. The thought of being without her was almost more than he could bear.

"I'm not sure, but I think you're good to go, Blair," Serena told her. "I'm going to get the medical kit for the scissors for the cord. Chuck, get some towels and sit with her. This could happen fast!"

He did as he was told. With the next contraction Blair pushed hard. This brought the head out with a pop and a small rip. Blair screamed again.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Chuck stated, tears pouring out of him as he witnessed his girlfriend give birth to their child. "I love you Blair! I'm so sorry I did this to you!" he sobbed. He shoved towels everywhere around her and stared in astonishment at what was unfolding before his eyes.

"I love you too, Chuck," Blair huffed and then screamed, "…But never again!" as the final contraction hit. The infant's shoulders and torso rolled out of her in a mass of blood and fluid. And then Blair passed out.

"Blair! Blair!" Chuck cried watching the lifeless form of his girlfriend as she lay flopped against Nate's chest. Nate was crying too as Chuck tried to revive her. Neither heard the wail that the child let roar from his tiny but powerful lungs as Serena tended him. She cleaned his face and cut the cord then laid his body on his mother's stomach as she got warm water and some more towels to clean him up with.

The screaming infant finally brought Blair around. She opened her eyes and saw the angry boy on her belly, howling for all he was worth.

"Is my baby ok?" she asked her teary-eyed friends, panic starting to rise up at the looks on their faces. "Is there something wrong with my baby?"

"No, the baby looks good Blair. I think it's full term even," Serena answered her friend as she set her supplies at Blair's feet. "…But you had us worried. You passed out cold! Are you alright?" she asked her friend.

"I'm sore and a little dizzy, but I don't feel too bad. I guess I was a little further along than I thought I was!" she said sheepishly, noticing the look on Chuck's face. Yup, she thought, she'd hear about this later for sure. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's a boy, Blair! You and Chuck have a son."

Chuck picked the ebony haired child up off his mother's stomach and held him up for her to see.

"Oh Chuck," Blair cried, "We have a son. He's perfect! He looks just like you!"

"God help us all," Serena laughed.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 18**

The children consumed the attention and direction of the household for the next few months. The common bond of parenting brought the couples even closer together with each other and as friends. The children, young as they were, had begun to bond too.

Serena and Nate's son, Andrew was a dream child. Fair haired and rosy, he was downright the happiest baby going and gave his parents little trouble. He was always cooing and giggling. He looked like Nate except around the mouth and his hair was more like Serena's with a slight wave to it. He slept through the night at three months of age and napped often and for long bouts of time. He was content to just sit and watch Chester, babbling and laughing at the smaller child's antics.

Chester Bartholomew Bass, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with! Though initially tiny in stature, he certainly made up for it in attitude and behaviour. The child demanded attention from day one and kept both of his parents so busy they were totally exhausted. He was an active little guy to put it mildly, and did everything early. He detested sleeping and napped only when his body and lungs gave out. The spitting image of Chuck, save for Blair's eyes and curls, he adored his best buddy, Andrew from the beginning.

While Andy cooed at Chess on the blanket in the yard, Chess would manoeuvre himself close to his little friend and relieve him of what ever Andy had happened to be holding, or nibbling on, or whatever. Chess would also start a babble session and Andy would laugh and try to copy the sounds. Once they were making the almost same noises, Chess would switch it up and wait to see if Andy reciprocated. It was hilarious to watch.

The parents of both children were very proud of their offspring and were coping surprisingly well on the island as parents and as couples. Sexual activity had returned to both couples after the initial six week abstinence recommendation from the information obtained in Stacy's Medical book. The book had also informed the couples that regular and consistent breast-feeding was an excellent form of birth control and that pregnancy was often unlikely while they continued to nurse their children.

When Chester was around six months of age, however, Blair realized she was very much pregnant again. She hadn't even started menstruating after the baby yet, but her milky breasts had begun to increase in size and tenderness and her recently flattened stomach began to show that roundness to it again. The first kicks confirmed it and she cried for days. Already exhausted from having one overactive infant, she couldn't fathom the thought of yet another child. Chuck was dumbstruck. He never wanted to see Blair in that physical state again.

"What are we going to do?" Blair cried that night as they sat in front of the fire enjoying their valued quiet time. She felt the velvety flutters under her skin. "This wasn't supposed to happen again so soon!"

"You don't want this baby, Blair? " Chuck asked with concern.

"Of course I want this baby," she replied. "How could I not want it? It part of us. I love this baby, I'm just so tired and I don't know how I'll ever manage another one if it's anything like our son! "

"Yeah, Chester is really something!" Chuck smirked. "I often think if Bart was alive, he would have told me that having a kid just like I was, was poetic justice. From what my nanny used to tell me, I was a terror too! Maybe this one will be like you this time. A little princess."

"And that would spell trouble too now, wouldn't it Bass?" Blair laughed as she curled up on his lap and softly kissed him.

He deepened the kiss until a small groan escaped her mouth. "Isn't this how we got into our current predicament in the first place?" she teased.

"Yes, but its too late now, isn't it? Besides, I wouldn't change a thing if I could!" he admitted returning to her lips.

He scooped her up in his arms and hauled her into their bedroom, lay her down gently on the bed and lifted her nightgown over her head. She put her hands on his waist and slid them down to relieve him of his pyjama bottoms. When he stepped out of them he knelt at the foot of the bed and ran his hands up her silky thighs. He placed his hands on her belly and kissed it.

Blair held his head in her hands and told him how much she loved him. They made love until Chester woke them up a little while later for nursing.

Charlotte Rose Bass was born five months later. Her birth was far less traumatic than her brother's had been. Blair had gone into labour beginning with back pains again, but this time the labour progressed normally and the child was born without event. It had been almost two years from the time they had been first been displaced.

Serena and Nate were expecting their second child by now too. More in love than ever, they were ecstatic to be having another baby. Serena hoped for a girl this time so that Charlotte would have a playmate too.

Andrew and Chester were toddling around the yard now quite well. Chester had, of course, been mobile first, being all hands and fingers into everyone's business any way he could. Andrew soon followed along trying to keep up with his buddy. The two kept the four adults hopping for sure. Both little boys loved young Charlotte who was again the spitting image of Chuck, with Blair's eyes and hair.

Life proceeded on the island as it had for two years now. They hunted and gathered off the land. They farmed produce as well and kept goats and chickens to supplement their diet. Items such as soaps and shampoos were made following recipes copied from a book they'd found in the small library. They had almost everything they needed on the tiny island except for clothing to replace the rapidly wearing items they had initially brought with them, and clothes to fit growing children.

They hadn't been to West Beach to look for ships and rescue for several months. They had all but given up hope of ever being rescued. If it hadn't been for the demanding daily routines of providing for their growing families, they may have been discouraged and depressed. The opposite, however, was true! All were strong, healthy and happy.

The adults had been living on purely organic foods without toxic or man-made substances in their bodies for almost two years. The hard day to day labour of living on an island and maintaining a small farm had made each adult lean and muscular. Nate and Chuck in particular had bulked up substantially. Well-defined muscles were visible from their worn t-shirts. The boys had certainly become men on this island. Blair and Serena had changed quite a bit too. Both now carried a confidence and maturity in them that had been lacking as teens. They were self sufficient and strong. They were secure in their relationships, made their men happy, and were both excellent mothers.

In addition, the close proximity and the shared set of circumstances had bonded them together both as couples and as friends. Each considered their partner as a spouse and had made vows of marital commitment together without legal or religious ceremony. This commitment extended to their children as well. The children were the first priority of both couples. And overall, they had become a close knit extended family. Their loyalty to each other as friends was undeniable.

**XOXO**

It was a warm Monday morning when the helicopter came into view. Chuck and Nate were away at the fruit belt up over the hills, gathering nuts. Serena and Blair were tending the goats and watching Chester and Andrew frolic about and wrestle in the yard. Nana, the goat Serena was tending, kicked her milking container flying and bolted away in terror at the sight of the black beast as it slowly descended over the trees down the hill. The little boys each began to scream in horror at the frightening object and ran to their mothers for protection. Blair and Serena just looked at each other in alarm.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 19**

"It's landing on the beach!" Blair said, running to the house. She grabbed her hunting knife and threw a t-shirt on over her faded bikini top and headed down the path to where she believed it had landed. "I'm going to check on what's happening…. stay with the kids," she yelled back at Serena.

She ran down the path, heart pounding a mile a minute. When she heard voices, she slipped into the trees and watched in silence, hardly able to control her breathing. If she weren't careful, she'd hyperventilate. She spied five men heading towards the break in the trees that led into the small clearing where Marjorie Grant was buried. Two of the men were just past middle age; the three others were quite a bit younger, probably in their twenties. One younger man carried a shovel and another had a container of some kind in his hand. They proceeded to Marjorie's graveside and began talking among themselves.

**XOXO**

The family had come to the island to bury the cremated remains of their deceased father and grandfather with his late wife. They knew how much Stacy had loved the island. They all had fond memories of camping and hunting with their dad and granddad over the years here. They had spent countless holidays in the caves of the island in years past. Stricken with grief at the news of his traumatic death, the family had initially been undecided on what to do with Stacy's remains.

After he'd been cremated, they had placed him upon the mantle of his youngest son's fireplace for almost two years. They had argued whether to bury him on Big Island in the local cemetery where they could all go to visit him, or to bring his remains out to the island that he loved. In the end, the island was chosen. They knew Stacy would want to remain next to his beloved wife for the rest of eternity. They had chosen this date, the second anniversary of his death, to come back to the island and bury him.

The family placed a small urn from the container into the freshly dug hole next to Marjorie. They stood a moment in silence and the oldest of Stacy's sons said a prayer before the grave. Blair stepped out of the trees and stood quietly behind the family, tears now beginning to well in her eyes as she watched them say goodbye to their father and grandfather. Her heart pounded fiercely in anticipation and she struggled to control her breathing, feeling incredibly dizzy as she waited. She did not want to interrupt such an intimate family moment. After the men had finally closed over the hole they turned around to go back and retrieve the headstone from the helicopter that would mark Stacy's final resting place next to his wife. They stopped short at the sight of the stunning woman who stood before them.

She was bronzed perfection! Lean and muscular, with long dark caramel curls, she stood clad only in a t-shirt and bikini bottoms. Her eyes were jet black and as round as saucers as she stood in shock staring at them. She had a large hunting knife in her hand and was breathing erratically.

"Who are you?" asked the youngest man, clearly love struck at her absolute beauty.

"Help!" was all she could say and then she passed out.

**XOXO**

Jonathon Grant held Blair tightly to his chest as the helicopter sped on towards the hospital on Big Island. The woman had remained unconscious for the first half of the flight, then had came to with a jolt and had freaked out erratically on them. She was clearly still in shock and had promptly passed out again. His family thought she must be feral or at least insane.

But he heard none of that. Jonathon was in love. He honestly thought he'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life. He wanted this girl, wild or not. And Jonathon always got what he wanted. Finders, keepers he chanted in his head with a smile. He was sure she was going to be all right, but was obviously suffering from some kind of traumatic event.

He rationalized a story about her circumstances. She must have been shipwrecked or was a victim of a kidnapping or something, otherwise how'd she get on that island? She would be treated and would awaken in the hospital in a state of grace. She would be grateful for her rescue, instantly falling in love with her saviour!

When Blair regained consciousness later in the hospital with tubes in her arms to re-hydrate her and a mask on her face, she went into a complete state of panic again, flailing about and yelling irrationally. To the staff and Jonathon, she made no sense. The nurse sedated her at the doctor's orders and Blair passed out again.

**XOXO**

In the fading light of evening, Nate and Chuck ran across up the path from the beach to the cave house, completely exhausted.

"We saw it from the other side of the island!" Nate yelled across the yard as he saw Serena. "Why didn't you guys light a signal fire?"

They both stopped short upon seeing tears pouring from Serena's face.

"What happened, Serena?" Chuck growled. "What's the matter? Where's Blair?" he added looking around noticing his girlfriend's absence.

"She's gone, Chuck," Serena wailed. "She went to see the helicopter and she didn't return. I finally put the kids in their cribs and went to go see if something was going on. That's when I saw them loading her into the helicopter and take off," she sobbed. "She looked unconscious or something. I was so scared; I didn't know what to do!"

They were all dumbfounded. Blair was gone! With a group of strange men! How the fuck did that happen?

Chuck went numb. His Blair, the woman he considered his wife, the mother of his kids, was gone! His kids! Oh my God, what would his kids do without their mother? They had an infant… only weeks old! Charlotte needed her mother to nurse and care for her!

"The kids…." Chuck began.

"They're ok now, but Chester screamed for Blair for over an hour until he exhausted himself and fell asleep (not uncommon for him)," Serena replied. "And I nursed Charlotte. She didn't want to take my milk, but I guess she was pretty hungry. In the end, she nursed."

"Thank you," Chuck whispered. He walked into the cave house and crumpled down on the floor, feeling a loss that was almost unfathomable. He would have thrown himself off a cliff; it was so great, except for the needs of his children. Although they were so young, they needed their father more than ever now. He went into his bedroom and lay on his bed not quite sure how to cope with this. He was unable to stop thinking about what they might be doing to her. He couldn't imagine Blair not being by his side.

"Maybe she'll bring us back help! Maybe she's ok and they've gone to get us a boat or something." Serena suggested to Nate.

"If they hurt her and made her unconscious," Nate explained to his optimistic girlfriend, "they're probably bad people. God knows what they did, or might be doing to Blair. And if they're bad, they'll probably end up killing her. Chuck knows this. It's got to be eating him alive! I'm just grateful they didn't get you too," he said, holding her tightly.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 20**

Blair woke up with an extremely painful chest. Her milk caked breasts were throbbing. She desperately needed her children. She tried to fight the panic that began to spread again. She had to remain calm. She knew that if she freaked out they would give her another shot and restrain her.

She took deep breaths and analysed her situation: She was in a hospital. She wasn't hurt. The good-looking guy who was obviously totally in love with her was now asleep in the chair across from her. Her 'irrational behaviour' had gotten her nowhere earlier. She needed to get back to the island and save her family and friends. She needed to let people in New York know that they were alive. She needed to try and arrange a proper rescue for them. Period.

Because of guardrails on the bed she was unable to get up. She needed to pee. She found a call button pinned to the side of her bed and pushed it. In a few minutes a large middle-aged Polynesian- looking woman appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning dear," she said with a huge smile on her face. "It's so good to see you awake and coherent. What can I help you with this morning?" she asked.

Blair gave her the best 'don't fuck with me' smile she could compose. "My name is Blair Waldorf and I am here against my will," she began. "That man sleeping in the chair is a stranger and has brought me here against my will. I need to see a policeman immediately. I also need to make a phone call to New York City and I need to get back to my husband and children. You have no idea who I am or who my husband is. If you and your hospital know what is good for you, I suggest you do as I ask, NOW," she seethed. "And, I need to pee," she added. "So please let down this guard rail and get me out of this bed.

The nurse was stunned. Clearly this lady was off her rocker! However, she had remained calm and was coherent, both conditions suggesting she was within her rights to have her requests respected. She unhooked the guardrails and allowed Blair to sit up. The nurse helped her up and showed her the bathroom, and then scurried off in search of a supervisor to oversee the crazy lady.

Blair pulled the IV tube needle out from the back of her hand and held a tissue to it so it would quit bleeding. She glared at the nurse as she made her way to the bathroom. She peed and then looked at her appearance in the mirror. She looked like a wild woman, not an Upper East Sider! She took the toothbrush and toothpaste that were thoughtfully brought in to her by someone last night, and cleaned her teeth. She brushed her frazzled hair and washed her face. Not perfect, but much better than before. She left the bathroom and grabbed a second hospital gown to wear as a robe. She left the hospital room and made her way down the hall. She asked a janitor where the phones were.

Dialing zero, she asked the operator to make a collect call for her. She gave the lady the number requested and then waited while knots twisted in her gut.

"_You have a collect call from a Blair Waldorf," the operator said into the phone. "Do you accept the charges?"_

"What, is this some kind of sick joke?" the voice on the other end asked. "Blair Waldorf has been dead for two years!"

"Tell him I'm not dead!" Blair begged the operator. "It's me!"

"_The lady says she's not dead sir. Do you wish to accept the call or not?"_

"I'll accept," the man said.

"_Go ahead mam; he said he'll accept the charges. Oh, and good luck!" she concluded._

"Hello, who am I speaking to?"

"This is Blair. Who am I speaking to?"

"Listen, this isn't funny," the man said. "Blair Waldorf is dead. We're sick and tired of people prank calling us. You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

"Who is this?" Blair demanded. "I am Blair….. Serena, Nate, Chuck and I are alive. And I want to speak to Lily NOW!"

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then the man replied, "This is Rufus Humphrey. I'll get Lily right away."

"Blair?" Lily's voice finally said into the phone. "Is it really you? …."

**XOXO**

Jonathon Grant woke up with a kink in his neck. It took him a moment to register where he was. When he looked up he noticed an empty hospital bed and two security officers standing in the doorway.

"We have some questions for you ,Mr. Grant. Come with us," they said to him as they escorted him down the hall.

**XOXO**

The children were miserable. Without his mother, Chester in particular, was totally inconsolable. He cried non-stop and behaved worse than he normally did. It seemed the word "no" held no meaning at all today. He wouldn't nurse, but he bit Serena while she tried to nurse him. He wouldn't eat, but threw his food all over the kitchen in a rage. And he wouldn't play with Andy, but pulled his hair and pinched really hard until the normally happy child curled into a little ball and cried.

The child was no better behaved for Chuck. Chuck hadn't slept a wink. The dark circles under his red eyes suggested he had probably cried most of the night (there was no alcohol left to drown his troubles). He'd been up several times with his son, who screamed for his mamma non-stop until he collapsed with exhaustion again. Chuck had little patience left for Chester, and could relate a little more to Bart than he ever thought he'd be capable of. The stress of having no mother for his children reinforced all of the insecurities he'd ever had, all his life. So after chasing the little demon around all morning Chuck was at his wit's end. He finally placed the child in Nate's arms.

"I can't take this right now," he said.

They watched him go down the game trail towards the beach. Neither Nate nor Serena knew what to say to him. So they just let him go so he could grieve in peace.

Tears began to flow with each step Chuck took down the trail. He followed the path until he came to the clearing where Marjorie and Stacy were buried. He stood and stared at the tombstones. There had only been one stone there before. Startled at seeing the second one, he went over to examine it, and spied the hunting knife Blair had dropped the day before. He picked up the knife, a fresh tear sliding down his face. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand he walked over to the new tombstone.

_Stacy Grant: Beloved husband and father. I'm now flying with a different set of wings. May 5, 1931 – August 15, 2011 _

Stacy, their pilot! Of course it made sense that Stacy's family would bring his remains here to bury next to his belated wife. Someone from that family must have had some kind of encounter with Blair, but there was no blood on the knife. So the questions remained: What happened in this clearing and why had they taken Blair?

He doubted Stacy's family would intentionally harm her without cause. Yet Serena said she appeared unconscious and they'd lifted her into the chopper. Was she hurt? It just didn't make any sense why she would have been passed out or why they would have taken her off the island in the first place.

Chuck continued down to the beach and sat in the sand looking out over the peaceful cove. He stayed in the same spot for the remainder of the afternoon watching the angry grey clouds approach from the west.

**XOXO**

Blair desperately wanted and needed her family. But it wouldn't happen today she was told. There was a severe storm watch in affect. The coast guard refused to take her back to her family until the warnings were past. So she was stuck on Big Island until the sky and the sea were calm.

In the mean time Lily was en route to Big Island via the Bass Jet. She had been hysterical on the phone to hear how they were all still alive. Blair hadn't gone into details about their ordeal, but assured Lily they were all alive and well, but that presently, only she had been rescued.

Blair had been taken back to Nate's grandfather's estate on the island where she was pampered like a queen. She'd been given access to anything she could possibly desire including a personal care attendant who came with an entourage of individuals to pamper her. But all she wanted was her family. Tears poured out of her eyes as fast as the milk did from her horribly swollen breasts. She stood in the shower allowing the hot water to help her drain; awaiting the breast pump the hospital had promised it would send her.

She was later groomed, trimmed, polished and plucked until she resembled a more familiar version of herself. She wore new clothes, but she was bored. She paced. She fidgeted. She didn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't eat or read or watch TV. She hadn't had down time like this in over two years. It was more than she could handle while she waited for Lily.

At least her boobs were feeling better, she thought. The pump that finally arrived had helped relieve the physical discomfort that came from un-nursed breasts, but it couldn't relieve the ache in her heart for her children and for Chuck. She knew Serena would nurse her daughter, but she was concerned about Chester. He was such a mommy's boy. She was sure they all were in a panic over her disappearance, but hoped they could piece together what had happened. And she knew, most of all, that Chuck would be distraught.

**XOXO**

For whatever reason they had taken her, Chuck hoped that Stacy's family would have returned her by now. Surely they weren't planning on keeping her! Surely she was asking to be reunited with her family! Surely they would return to rescue them all! Surely she wouldn't abandon them (him!) Would she?

The first claps of thunder brought Chuck around. He's been sitting on the beach all afternoon waiting for a helicopter or a ship to bring Blair back. Suddenly he noticed the wind had whipped up significantly. The approaching sky was absolutely black! Hurricane!

He got up and ran back up the path to the cave house almost bumping into Nate on the way.

"Where have you been?" Nate yelled against the roaring wind. "We were getting scared ,Chuck! There's a storm coming!" he suggested.

"I'm ok," replied Chuck. "We have to prepare for this storm, it looks like a hurricane."

"How do you know that?" Nate asked.

"I saw one when I was in Bangkok a few years ago," he replied. "We need to board up the windows and get the animals inside."

"The animals have been in their cave for a while now," Nate told him. "They're smarter than us. They must have known what was happening."

"Probably," Chuck yelled as they made their way back to the cave house.

He and Nate proceeded to replace the boards that had been covering up the windows when they first discovered the cave house two years ago. Once they checked to see everything was secured, they headed inside where Serena had supper ready at the table.

"Daddy!" greeted Chester as he ran, arms outstretched to greet his father. He had missed Chuck too. With both his parents missing, the little boy had cried all afternoon.

Chuck felt guilty seeing that his absence had so obviously added to the distress of his young son. He had promised the boy at his birth he would be a better father than Bart had been for him. Again, he had let someone down. The poor little guy, Chuck thought as he held him tight and rocked him, he deserves better. I won't ever leave him like that again, he promised.

**XOXO**

"Oh Blair," Lily cried as she wrapped her arms around her and sobbed. "Thank God you're all right! We thought you were all dead!"

"I know, Lily, we heard the newscast. It's how we learned that our pilot had crashed! Wait, how did you manage to get here in this storm? I thought all the airports were closed!" Blair exclaimed.

"They are; but the storm's much worse on this part of the island. It wasn't near this bad when we landed," Lily admitted. "And our pilot is really good," she added. "He was a pilot in Vietnam during the war. There's not much that will keep him out of the air! We landed on Big Island without consent. They had a fit at the airport, but settled down once they heard who we were. It's all over the news! "

"Tell me please, how is my daughter and Chuck?" Lily asked.

"Serena, Chuck, and Nate are all good," Blair answered. "We were pretty shook up after hearing we'd been stranded, but we managed."

Blair proceeded to tell Lily about life on the island. Lily was dumbstruck! She could never have imagined Serena in a cave or milking a goat, or hunting and gathering to survive….and making it! And yet Blair looked better than she ever had seen her. She was no longer a flighty child, but was a confident and strong young woman. The whole thing was absurd and more than a little surreal! She listened in awe to the tale, shaking her head in disbelief.

Blair decided not to discuss the children at this time, wanting one shock to wear off before inflicting another one on Lily. She wasn't sure how the news of three and a half illegitimate grandchildren would go over to the van der Woodsen or the Waldorf households. It would be the scandal of the year for all of the UES for sure. So she'd leave the news of grandchildren out until the coast guard reunited them all again on the island.

Blair went to bed that night feeling more alone than she had in years.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 21**

The storm raged on for another day and a half. Lily and Blair were stuck on Big Island. Blair caught up on local UES gossip and news of family and friends. Her mother and Cyrus had continued to live in Paris. Rufus had promised to inform them of Blair's rescue. Blair told Lily that she and the others on the island had become even closer than they'd been in Manhattan. Lily was relieved to hear that they had all matured and were doing well.

But Blair remained hesitant about telling Lily about the kids. She honestly wasn't sure how to best approach it. She knew her own mother would be furious. One illegitimate child would shame the family enough, let alone two! She knew Lily was more liberal than her own mother and would probably be ok with Serena and Nate's child, but she didn't want the questions that would go along with that information. It was best to let Serena tell her own mother about her and Nate. Chuck could also explain to his stepmother about their two kids. In the mean time she made sure she drained her breasts several times during their stay lest they begin to leak (a phenomenon she shared with Serena which made Chuck howl with laughter and Nate gag).

When the coast guard finally phoned to confirm their time for departure, Blair was ecstatic. She would finally be reunited with Chuck and the kids! Lily looked at her in disbelief while she cried. She could not believe the girl could be that excited to go back to that island! They would board the vessel a little after noon.

**XOXO**

Jonathon Grant stared at the two women on deck trying to get a read on them. He wanted to approach Blair to see how she was fairing. But the air about her was different than when he's picked her up off the island. She had been primped and polished and looked more like a debutante than the waif he had found. He would be accompanying the Coast Guard to Little Paradise to make sure they found the correct location.

He now looked at Blair wondering what she really thought of him. He had been floored when he was told she was pressing charges for kidnapping. He'd only tried to rescue her. Had she not asked for help before collapsing in front of him and his family? He had witnesses! He had spent the whole evening at her bedside making sure she was ok. He recalled when they had first brought her in, that she had been wild! After they'd sedated her he had helped the nurse strip her down and put her to bed. Her tanned and muscular body made his mouth water. Her breasts were a moderate size and were so round and firm! She was everything he could have desired. He was more infatuated with her than he had ever been over any other woman, ever! He was sure she was the one for him! So he had sat and patted and caressed her to let her know she would be ok, that she wasn't alone.

The next time she'd come to was when he was at her bedside stroking her. She began to scream and thrash wildly about again in her bed. He had paged the nurse and they had restrained and sedated her again. While she was slipping under he told her he would take care of her and that she was safe with him.

After Blair had dropped the charges he had done some research into exactly who she was. He was shocked to learn that she was one of the missing passengers from his grandfather's helicopter and had been presumed dead. He put two and two together and figured she'd likely been taken to the island by Stacy for one reason or another. She had probably not been on the island alone, yet she was the only one who had been there asking for help. The research brought up information on the obituary of all four missing rich kids. They were friends. What had happened to the others?

She had dropped the charges on him after her release from the hospital. He'd tried in vain to track her down on the island but was unable to get past security at the Archibald Estate to see her. The Paparazzi were thick outside the gates fighting for the opportunity to take photos and get a story. He didn't dare share who he was with the press, wanting to talk to Blair first.

When the hurricane blew in he was forced to retreat. He was afraid he'd never get the opportunity to see her again. But then the Coast Guard had called him. As it was an uncharted island he'd found her on, they needed his help returning to pick up the others. So the others did live too, he thought. He agreed to go only because he needed to see her again, to see if she would be his.

**XOXO**

The island was a disaster zone! There were shredded trees everywhere. The cave house itself had faired well, but some of the outbuildings had collapsed. The garden was wind damaged, but salvageable. Chuck was grateful they'd already harvested most of the fruit and nuts from their trees. Damage around the property was actually minimal considering the magnitude of the storm.

But the beach was a nightmare. There were broken trees and bric-a-brac from huge waves laying everywhere. The three headed down to the shore to make a day of cleaning up what they could. Serena would let the two boys play in the sand and in the small tide pools along the coast while the men worked.

Chuck and Nate gathered up huge piles of wood to either burn or to haul back to the cave house for fuel for a later time. They started a huge bonfire to burn all the rubbish and kept it going all afternoon.

**XOXO**

When he noticed Lily disappear for a moment he got up his nerve and approached Blair.

"Miss Waldorf," he began.

Blair turned and looked at him in shock. She had forgotten he was to be a part of the return to the island. She stiffened immediately. "Yes," she replied politely. "Can I help you?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right," he said.

"Yes, thank-you," she replied coldly. "I'm fine."

"Good, good,' he said as he scratched the side of his head. "I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment." He took her elbow and escorted her to the side of the craft where there were some deck chairs. She sat and he joined her.

"I want to apologise for any kind of misunderstanding we may have had," he began. "I was thinking you wanted to be rescued when you asked for help on the island."

"I did, but for all of us, not just myself." she replied. "I got upset when I realised I'd been taken without them. No one could understand me, so I panicked."

"Yes, I see. That is understandable," he said. "Please forgive me then. No harm was intended. We only thought we were helping you. Maybe we should begin again." He smiled a genuinely warm smile at her while extending his hand. "I'm Jonathon Grant. I believe you knew my grandfather."

Blair smiled back at him. He seemed sincere in his mannerisms, but she still wasn't sure about him. Something in the back of her head warned her to stay away. "It's nice to meet you, Jonathon. I'm Blair Waldorf," she said shaking his hand. "I'm sorry about the loss of your grandfather. He seemed to be a very nice man. I'm still not sure what happened to him."

"Please call me Jon," he replied "And yes thank-you, Stacy was a great man. His death hit the family hard." Jonathon continued to tell Blair and then Lily about what they believed had happened to Stacy. The hours passed quickly as they moved toward the island.

**XOXO**

Back on the island the afternoon had passed with busy hands cleaning the beach. Serena had the kids finally all settled down for a nap, Chester included! The boys were sleeping curled up together like puppies from the same litter, Chester's dark hair and brown limbs tangled up with Andrew's platinum blond hair and golden limbs. Charlotte lay peacefully beside them, thumb in mouth.

"How are you doing Chuck?" Serena asked as she watched him snap a large branch in half and toss it on the fire.

"How do you think I'm doing?" he spat. His mood hadn't changed since Blair had disappeared. He had made an honest effort to parent his children, but was having difficulty. He was depressed and felt that his heart had been torn right out of his chest. He couldn't fathom going on without Blair. "I'm sorry I'm being such a prick, S. I know it's not your fault. Thanks for nursing the kids by the way. I know it's hard on your body. We'd have been in trouble with Charlotte though, if you weren't still nursing Andrew."

"I really don't mind Chuck. I couldn't let her starve! She's only a baby. And Blair is my best friend. I still think she'll be back for us."

"I think I've given up hope," he said flatly. "I need to get back to work." He got up off the sand where he'd been sitting with Serena and headed back to the pile of rubble from the hurricane.

**XOXO**

"The cove is around to the north end of the island, like the top of a horseshoe," Jonathon informed the captain of the ship. "There's a break in the coral reef at the western edge of it for the boat to get through without damage."

They were close. Blair watched the island become clearer as they got closer to her home.

"Oh Blair! It's lovely," Lily said admiring the sight in front of her.

"Yes it is," Blair replied back getting more and more anxious about seeing her family again.

"My grandparents loved this island. They came here to holiday for years together. It was where they'd planned on retiring until grandma died of cancer," Jonathon added.

As they came across the northern tip of the island a cove began to emerge.

"It looks like paradise," Lily said. "It's so beautiful."

"That's what grandma thought too. She named it Little Paradise," Jonathon informed her with a smile.

As they turned into the western most point of the cove and headed inland they could see smoke coming from the beach. Blair watched in alarm not understanding why they would have a fire that big going on the sand.

"They're probably burning rubble from the hurricane. A beach can get pretty messy after one, you know," Jonathon explained.

Blair noticed the figures begin to appear in the distance on the shore. She counted three adults, and knew Serena would be one of them. It was time to tell Lily the truth about her daughter.

"Um, Lily, I have to tell you something important before we land," she confessed.

"What is it, Blair?" the older woman replied looking at her.

"When I told you we all had gotten closer on the island, I wasn't kidding. Nate and Serena and Chuck and I are couples. We also both have children."

"You what?" both Lily and Jonathon asked at once.

Blair scowled at Jonathon but smiled at Lily. "Serena and Nate have a son, Lily and she's pregnant again. Congratulations! You're a grandmother!"

"Oh my God!" Lily responded. "I'm a grandmother! But you said you had a child too."

"Yes," Blair answered as a tear started down her cheek and she smiled, wiping it away. "Chuck and I have a son and a daughter. Our daughter is only a few weeks old," she admitted. "I can't wait to see them again!"

Jonathon turned and gritted his teeth. For him this was not good news at all!

**XOXO**

The kids had just woken up from their nap and Serena was trying to get the fussy baby to nurse. But Charlotte wanted her mother's milk and this just wasn't the same. The boys were busy running around. As usual Chester was in the lead and Andrew was chasing him, giggling away.

All of a sudden Chester stopped his running and pointed out into the cove. "Look!" he said "Boat! Boat!"

"Bow," Andrew agreed with him.

The adults stopped what they were doing and stared open mouthed as they watched the craft coming closer to their shoreline.

"It must be Blair!" Serena yelled happily, startling the baby at her breast who promptly began to wail.

"Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!" Chester began to yell repeatedly as he jumped up and down clapping his hands in excitement.

Chuck came to the shoreline and watched as the craft approached. Sure enough, he saw Blair on the deck of the craft, now waving excitedly at them. "She's got Lily with her too," he said to his half sister.

"Mom's with her?" Serena laughed with excitement.

"Yes, and some other guy too," he added.

As the boat slowed close to the shore, some other men threw an anchor over it and lowered a dingy into the water. He watched as Lily, Blair and a couple of other fellows were lowered into it and began to shore. He waded out into the water to greet them, eager to have her in his arms once again.

"Chuck!" she yelled eagerly, much to the dismay of Jonathon. She leapt out of the boat and into his arms as soon as she was close enough to him.

"Oh Blair," he cried. "We thought we'd lost you! What happened? Why did you leave us?" he asked, holding her so tight she thought she would break.

"It's a long story, I'll share it with you later," she answered as her mouth latched onto his and she kissed him deeply. "I'm just so glad to be back with you. I never want to be away from you like that again!"

"Mom!" Serena cried hugging her mother close with Charlotte in her arms. "It's so good to see you again."

"The baby?" Lily began.

"Is Chuck and Blair's" she laughed handing the wailing infant over to her parents. "Nate and I have a son, and one on the way!" she laughed.

"I see that!" Lily exclaimed patting her daughter's obviously very pregnant stomach. "I'm just so glad you are all alive!"

Chester began to cry at the sight of his mother giving everyone hugs and kisses except for him. "MOMMY!" he wailed.

Blair handed their daughter over to Chuck and ran over to her little boy, lifting him up high and then hugging and kissing him over and over again. "Mommy missed you!" she told him. "I love you, Chester."

"Mommy, my mommy," he cooed tucking his little head into the curve of her neck.

They were soon joined again by Chuck and Charlotte. Chuck wrapped his arms around Chester and Blair, holding them all to his heart. His family was home safe.

Lily watched the reunion, an arm draped around her daughter's waist, tears flowing down her face. She'd never seen Chuck so raw and exposed before. It filled her heart!

**XOXO**

**Chapter 22**

It was decided that Lily would stay with them on the island for a week until they had a chance to arrange things in order to leave. They would need to figure out what to do with their animals and to clean up the cave house they'd been using for two years. Jonathon volunteered to stay behind and help. After all, it had been his grandfather's place.

It unnerved Chuck to have the man around, especially since he'd learned that Jonathon was the one who had insisted on taking Blair off the island.

"It was simply a misunderstanding," Jonathon defended. "She'd asked us for help and then passed out. We thought she needed a doctor!"

But Chuck didn't trust him. He seamed infatuated with Blair and it was driving him nuts. They decided Jonathon could stay in one of the guesthouses and Lily would stay with them in the guest room next to the nursery in the cave house.

After dinner that night they got the kids settled and ready for bed. Lily had enjoyed playing grandmother to the little ones and laughed at their antics. She was blown away at how natural the four young adults parented their offspring and was shocked to realize they had done everything without support or knowledge, all on their own including the birthing of all three. She couldn't fathom what that must have been like.

That night, Chuck sat at the head of their bed leaning against the headboard. He held Blair against his chest as she nursed their youngest child. Chester curled up on their legs and was fighting off the sleep he hated. Blair smiled, watching his eyes grow heavier as she stroked his head with her free hand.

"Works for me every time too," Chuck laughed, watching his son. "He didn't do well when he figured out you were missing. We all missed you a lot!" he said as he kissed her temple.

"Let's put these guys to bed," she suggested and carefully got up with the baby. "Then I want to go and shower with you out in the stream."

Grabbing some shampoo, soap and a few other items (she'd gone shopping prior to their departure) they headed to the stream. It was nearly dark and she knew everyone was in bed for the night. She pulled off her sundress (also new) and slipped out of her panties watching as Chuck undressed too. She dove off her favourite rock and swam to the falls, squealing with delight as his head popped up behind her. She wrapped her arms around him and eagerly kissed his lips, groaning as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

His hands stroked her body, relishing the feel of her again. "Blair," he groaned as he felt her hands in his hair while she planted kisses along his collarbone.

"Take me now," she whispered into his ear running her nails down his back and cupping his bum as she pulled him closer to her.

He was eager for her but hesitated. "It hasn't been six weeks since you had Charlotte yet," he reminded her.

"I don't care. It's been about four. I've healed faster this time and I know my body is in better shape than it was when we first had sex after Chester. Besides, I want you so badly it almost hurts."

"I never could stand to see you in pain," he confessed as he tightened his grip around her and lifted her up. His mouth welcomed her back and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he took her over to where the water was shallower near the edge of the falls. He set her down and stroked her face while his mouth travelled down to her full breast. She arched her back as his tongue traced over her skin and he dropped to his knees in the shallow water. His arms circled around her as he plunged his mouth into her core.

"Chuck!" she gasped as his tongue entered her.

She caressed his head while he savoured her, a soft pant escaping form her lips as she grew close to climax. He held her tightly when he felt her knees begin to buckle when she came, placing his head against her belly while she stroked his head.

When she stopped convulsing he stood and kissed her deeply holding her face in his hands.

"I love you," he reassured her. "Please don't ever leave me again."

"I won't," she promised him again as she ran her hands down his body. She drew her hands up his thighs and looked into his eyes. She saw his fire in them. "I love you too," she reassured him and she kissed him soundly.

Blair trailed her fingers up his shaft, and glorified in its response to her touch. She drew small circles around the head and stroked its length with one hand, while cupping him with the other. He groaned at her touch on him. Her mouth kissed his chest and sucked on his small, hard nipples.

She dropped to her knees and took him fully into her mouth. He gasped at the suddenness of sensation and then groaned again as she slid away from him, only to plunge him back into her warm mouth again. She held him at his base and licked his tip then drew in the head applying suction to it. She felt his fingers knead her scalp along to the rhythm of her mouth. He held her firmly as he grew close.

"Blair, I'm getting close…." he started.

"That's good," she commented.

"No, slow down, I want to come inside of you." he admitted.

"Oh!" she said with a grin and she slid up his body.

He embraced her and walked her over to the back wall of the falls. Leaning her back against the rock, he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around him and rest her feet on the small of his back. He held her firmly as she put her arms around his neck and positioned herself. She arched her pelvis and helped guide him into her. She cried in pleasure as he filled her.

It was passionate with an essence of desperation from both of them. Chuck nearly withdrew and then slammed into her over and over again, almost as though he needed to reclaim her as his. Blair arched her pelvis, encouraging him in deeper and deeper, picking up the pace, responding to his need. He moaned as Blair cried out in pleasure as the tension built in their heat.

"Blair!" he yelled as he felt her walls begin to contract around him. She uttered a final cry as she finally exploded, him following immediately behind her.

Blair finally lowered her legs and wrapped her arms around his neck once again. She leaned her forehead against his and they held each other like that for a moment, enjoying the closeness of each other under the cool water of the falls.

Lily smiled at the sight of the lovers under the falls. She had been curious to the sounds coming from outside her bedroom window and had peaked out to catch the finale of their lovemaking. Although a little embarrassed about witnessing such an intimate encounter between her stepson and Blair, she had to admit she was happy for them. After all this time, they had found each other at last. She went to bed a content woman.

Another set of eyes, however, was not so happy watching the couple consummate their love. Jonathon Grant had been out for a walk along the beach. He was too young to be going to bed at dusk! He was just returning up the path when he heard voices coming from the falls. He ducked into the thick foliage and watched the couple as they made love.

That girl was amazing! Although it sickened him to see her with Chuck, he became incredibly aroused as her watched her passion unfold before his eyes. He began to stroke himself as he watched her go down on Chuck, imagining it was him her lips were grazing. He matched his own strokes to the rhythm as Chuck pounded into her against the wall, and he came violently, biting his lip and stifling his own cry of "Blair" to himself. She certainly was the whole package, he thought, and he wanted her more than ever!

**XOXO**

The next day Nate sat everyone down to come up with a plan for getting ready to leave. Once everyone knew what to do they all went into action.

"But I know Dorota would love her!" Blair sighed.

Blair was saddened to think of leaving her favourite goat behind, but there was no room for goats in the UES. They would ease off on the milking this week in preparation of releasing the animals back into the wild. Blair insisted on keeping their enclosure opened once they left, in case the animals wanted to return to the safety of the cave. Thankfully, the goats (as well as the chickens) had been used to grazing on their own so they wouldn't need feeding after the people had all left.

The cats too, were independent. They would survive just fine without their human companions. They rarely saw the beasts anymore and often only knew they'd been around from the presents they left (especially for Chuck) by the door of the cave house.

"Ahhhh!" Lily had screamed on her first morning as she stepped out into the sun and put her foot directly on a large dead rat. This totally delighted Chuck.

"Kitty," Chester informed his grandmother as they watched Chuck pick the nasty thing up by the tail and toss it into the trees. "My kitty!" he laughed.

Over the next few days they worked hard at organising the grounds and the cave house, making sure everything was put back properly. They intended on sending back supplies to restock the stores of bulk goods they'd used from Stacy's cave house.

The day before the ship was to arrive for them, Chuck decided to take the rowboat over to West Beach to return the extra supplies they had been using in the cave house. He had left just after dawn, intending to be gone for the morning.

A few hours after he'd left the women finished with their morning chores. Nate was out hunting for fresh meat for dinner. Serena was visiting with her mother in the garden watching the children at play. Blair was feeling hot and sweaty so she decided to go for a dip in the stream to wash off. She put on her new lavender bikini and dove in from her rock. She swam to the falls and began to wash herself down. When she was rinsing out her hair she was startled by a loud splash. She looked up to see Jonathon swimming toward her, a big grin on his face.

"Hey beautiful," he greeted her. "You look wonderful in purple!"

"Um, thanks," Blair replied coolly. She was feeling somewhat exposed in her bikini and wasn't appreciating the way he was looking her over. She squeezed out her hair and began to make her way over to the rocky ledge to climb out of the stream. Just as she stepped up, she felt his hand on her arm. He pulled her back into the water, catching her in his arms as she fell.

"Whoa!" he said, "Where do you think you're going? I haven't been able to really spend any time with you since we came here. But now that we're alone….." he began.

"Put me down!" Blair yelled at him. She struggled to get free of him. But as her feet landed on the bottom of the stream he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close so that his body was against hers. She could feel him hard against her hip and she yelled. "I said let me go!"

Chuck was almost home when he heard Blair yelling. He hurried up the path and stared in disbelief at Jonathon Grant trying to kiss his woman. He dove into the water and came up just short of where they stood.

"Get your filthy hands off my wife!" he yelled. Jonathon unhanded Blair who quickly scrambled up the ledge of the stream.

She watched as Chuck confronted Jonathon.

"She is not your wife," Jonathon said to Chuck with a smirk on his face. "She's free to be with whoever she wants. Just because she was stuck here with you for two years, doesn't mean she's yours. Maybe she's tired of your lame ass and wants something new and exciting!"

"You fucking prick!" replied Chuck and he swung his fist into Jonathon's face. "If you ever go near her again, I'll kill you!" Chuck climbed up after Blair and glared at Jonathon. He escorted Blair back to the cave house.

That night as he held her in his arms, Chuck sighed. "He's right you know," he admitted to Blair.

"What do you mean by 'he's right'?" she asked.

"Well, legally you aren't my wife," he answered. "You're free to be with whomever you choose. There are no ties to hold you to me. I'm scared that when we get home you'll realise you're sick of me and want to find someone new."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Look at me, Chuck," she demanded.

He raised his eyes to her. She took his face in her hands and looked deep into his eyes.

"That's not going to happen," she told him. "I told you I love you. You are the father of our children and my mate. For life! If you want me to marry you, I will…. as soon as we can. I promise. My mother will probably insist on it anyways seeing as how you've knocked me up twice already." she giggled.

She placed a light kiss on his mouth.

"Ok," he said to her. "As soon as we can, we'll get married."

They made love desperately after that, reinforcing to each other that they were committed for life.

The next day a small, private ship arranged by the Coast Guard showed up to take them back to Big Island. The Bass jet would be waiting for them at the airport to return them to New York. After two years, they were finally going home.

The older kids were nervous about being on the ship and were fussy. They settled immediately, however, when they saw cartoons being played on the entertainment system in the ship's lounge area. This was a totally new stimulus for them. They were both mesmerized by the colourful pictures. Lily cuddled the baby and Serena and Nate were strangely quiet, looking almost sad.

"I'm going to miss it," Blair admitted with a sigh. "It was our first home together as a family."

"I agree, B," Serena said. "I'm going to miss it too!"

Just then Chuck showed up in the lounge doorway with a strange older gentleman. He had a goofy grin on his face that told Blair he was up to something.

"Bass?" Blair questioned. "That look on your face tells me you're up to something."

"Blair, this is Captain Donaldson, the ship's captain," he stated. "He has agreed to marry us right here, right now, if you still want me."

Blair was dumbstruck. He's insane, she thought. But then she remembered how she'd promised him last night that she'd marry him at the first opportunity. Well, here it was. It wasn't what she'd expected in a wedding, but it was kind of romantic if you thought about it. Besides, it would be easier for Eleanor to handle the children if there was a husband as well. They could always have a formal wedding later on if they chose.

"Al right," she agreed. "Let's get married!"

**XOXO**

**Chapter 23**

After the simple service in front of the captain and passengers (minus Jonathon of course) the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. The children grew tired and Serena's ankles began to swell up, but it was an otherwise relaxing trip back to New York. The lights of the city seemed to welcome them home. As the plane was landing everyone grew excited over seeing friends and family again.

Home! After two years in isolation the city seemed so loud, so busy, and so overwhelming even though it was still in the wee hours of the morning. It scared the kids half to death. Fortunately no one was aware of the arrival time of their flight so there were no Paparazzi around. They all took the Bass Limo back to Lily's penthouse for the remainder of the night.

The next morning after everyone was up and had eaten breakfast, Chuck and Nate took the kids down to the park to play for a couple of hours. Blair had just put her daughter down for a nap when Cyrus and her mother came to the door.

"Blair," Eleanor cried as she hugged her daughter tightly. "I thought I'd lost you. Thank God you survived!"

"I missed you too mom," Blair responded through her own tears. "It's so good to see you both again."

"Let me take a look at you," Eleanor chided pulling back and looking her daughter over. "Well, you definitely need a day at the salon, but besides that, you look wonderful!"

"Fit as a fiddle and right as rain!" Cyrus agreed with a huge smile on his face.

"Thank-you for noticing," Blair replied. "It's from not eating any processed food and starches and from having to do all the hard physical work just to survive."

"Well I must say, it certainly seems to have agreed with you. You look terrific!"

Blair smiled and hugged her mother closely again. It was honestly one of the only times she could recall her mother that had said anything positive about her appearance in her life.

Just then a baby's cry could be heard from the stairwell. Blair watched as Serena carried an unhappy Charlotte down the stairs. Eleanor's eyes bugged out at the sight of a very pregnant Serena holding a howling infant. She turned and looked at Lily in alarm.

"Oh Lily, I am so sorry!" she said. "This must have been an awful shock for you!"

"A shock yes, but not awful. I love being a grandmother," she said as she smiled at her now stern faced daughter.

"Thanks, mom," Serena said with a smile to her mother and then scowled at Eleanor. She then turned and held the fussing infant out to Blair. "Your daughter is having a hard time sleeping, B. I think you should try nursing her some more."

Blair accepted the wailing child who automatically stopped fussing with her mother's soothing touch. "There, there sweetheart,"she soothed, "let's try feeding you some more."

Blair sat down on the chesterfield and promptly raised her shirt exposing a full breast. As the child latched on she began to coo while she nursed contentedly. Eleanor blanched.

"I think I'm going to faint!" she declared.

Cyrus led her to the couch and sat her down opposite her daughter.

She looked at Blair and asked her, "How could you Blair? Think of the scandal! What will people say? You'll be ruined in this town!" She began to sob hysterically. "And who's the father anyways? And why are you doing that (pointing to her boob) and in public?"

"It's called breastfeeding mother!" Blair snapped at Eleanor. "And there's nothing wrong with it. It's not like we had access to formula or pampers or even condoms (obviously) out there for that matter. And I am not ashamed of how I am feeding my child. On the island we had no choice, and since Serena and I both had our babies at around the same time…. we all just got used to it. It's the most natural thing in the world to do. So I am sorry if you're ashamed, but I'm not!"

"What do you mean you both had your babies at the same time? Serena's obviously still pregnant? That doesn't even make sense!"

Right at that very moment Nate and Chuck came in with Andrew and Chester. The two little boys ran through the halls after each other and into the living room stopping at the adults to share their adventures.

Andrew ran up to Serena and hugged her legs. Chester tackled Blair's lap and planted a sloppy kiss on his nursing sister.

"Park, mamma!" he announced and then pointed to his obviously wet pants and said with a very Bass-like smirk, "Oops, pee!"

Eleanor stared agape at the rambunctious toddler, the telltale mark of his father written on that smirk. Then she stared at the smirking Chuck Bass, and then back to Blair.

"He tried to go but couldn't figure out the buttons," Chuck smirked, proud of his son's determination to toilet train already. "Let's get you changed buddy then you can come and meet your other grandparents properly," he added as he scooped Chester up and hauled him kicking and screaming up the stairs.

"Up Mama!" Andrew cried tugging at Serena's dress. "Up!"

"I think I'm going to be sick!" Eleanor claimed, head now resting in her hands. "How could you Blair? And with Chuck Bass none the less! And not once, but twice!"

"It's ok, dear," Cyrus soothed, rubbing Eleanor's shoulders. "Chuck's a man now, I'm sure he'll look after his children."

"He's my husband mother!" Blair said coldly. "And we love each other. And when Charlotte is a little older I plan on having another one or even two. So I'm sorry if I've disappointed you, but I'm proud of my family and my husband."

"You married Chuck? When?" Eleanor asked.

"It's not like there was a church on the island or anything. We made a commitment to each other there, and then we had the captain of our ship marry us legally before we hit Big Island yesterday," she explained. "Thanks for the use of your ring again, Lily. Chuck put it back in your room this morning. He gave me his mother's ring this morning. I think it's absolutely lovely."

"It certainly is, Blair," Lily agreed as she looked over at Eleanor. "Eleanor, I spent a week with all of the kids on that island. Both couples are very committed to each other and are really wonderful parents. You should be proud of your daughter. She's a fantastic mother. And I must say that little boy of theirs is a handful to say the least!"

All heads turned as a 'bump,' 'bump,' 'bump,' 'bump,' could be heard on the stairs behind them. Chester appeared on the landing laughing. He was proud of learning how to slide down the stairs on his tummy.

"Again, Daddy!" he said to Chuck with a big grin and climbed up the stairs like the whirlwind he was.

Blair sat up her sleeping daughter and burped her. She looked at her mother and asked, "Would you like to hold your granddaughter or not mother?"

All eyes were on Eleanor and she looked at the sleeping infant, another reminder of the Bass that knocked up her daughter for a second time!

"She really is a pretty baby, Blair," Eleanor agreed and opened her arms up to receive the child.

She looked at the little girl asleep with her little bow of a mouth still moving up and down, heavy dark lashes across her cheek in sleep. The child was gorgeous to be sure, she thought.

"Thank-you mom," Blair said with a little smile. She then got up and captured the other spitfire of a child as he bounced down the stairs another time.

"Come and meet your other Grandmother and your Grandfather," she told him, tickling him as she approached the older couple on the couch.

"I'm going to put Andrew down for a nap," Serena announced taking her own worn out child upstairs to put back for the first of his daily naps. "Unlike Chester, this one sleeps a lot!" she smiled.

"Chester Bass," Eleanor smiled as she looked at the impish child still wriggling under his mother's tickling fingers. "It suits him. He really is your son, isn't he Chuck?" she laughed. "Heaven help us all!"

"Hey, that's what Serena said when he was born!" Chuck mused.

**XOXO**

**Chapter 24**

The next few days passed by in a blur for the couples. Serena and Nate and Chuck and Blair each spent time looking at apartments and trying to avoid the paparazzi. There had been tons of Gossip Girl blasts about their return, about their children, about Chuck and Blair's wedding, and a few other events. They had a following wherever they went and it was beginning to wear them all down.

"I can't believe how much I am missing Little Paradise right now," Blair admitted to Chuck later in their room at Lily's after a particularly brutal afternoon. "It's really just too much to take! The noise, the people, and the pace…. When you grow up here you just don't realise it. I miss the peace and the simplicity of that little island!"

"I have to agree I miss it too," Chuck admitted. "The kids are miserable! It's just so over stimulating for them. Poor little Chess can't stand being restrained all the time, he's so used to just going freely wherever his little legs would take him. It's funny how the initial fascination of the stroller lasted only for about an hour with him, isn't it? "

"Well Andrew certainly loves it!" Blair laughed. "He immediately goes to sleep as soon as you push him in it! And it's great for Charlotte, but I like the chest hammock for her better, it makes me feel she's safer."

"He's not going to bother you again, Blair," Chuck insisted. "I promised him I'd tear him to bits if he ever touched you again."

"I know Chuck, but it makes me nervous even thinking about it. I'm just so grateful Serena and Eric were with me."

A couple of days earlier, Serena, Eric and Blair had taken the kids to Central Park for some playtime. They had packed a picnic lunch and some toys and were watching the kids enjoy the splash pool after their lunch. Blair had been lying on the blanket resting and breast-feeding Charlotte when she noticed a set of legs blocking her view of the splash pool. She looked up into the face of Jonathon Grant who was lustfully staring at her exposed breast. She gasped and quickly covered herself up and away from his lecherous eyes. "What are you doing here?" she snapped at him. "And stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what Blair? Like a man in love? Fuck you're beautiful! How could I not look at you like that?"

"Ewwwww, Jonathon, you're becoming a real creeper!" Blair stated. "You know I'm married to Chuck! I'm sorry, but you really do need to leave me alone."

She angrily got up and adjusted her clothing then put the sleeping baby into the stroller. She began to push the stroller towards the splash pool to rid herself of the creepy guy when his hand suddenly jerked out and caught the handle of it. He put his other arm firmly around her waist.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Blair gasped with a loud voice as she tried to steer herself and the stroller away from him. "Let go of me and my baby!"

"How dare you walk away from me!" Jonathon yelled, putting his hand tightly over hers and pulling the stroller harder so as to jerk it back.

Charlotte felt the jolt and began to cry over the rough motion and loud voices that were scaring her.

"Leave my baby alone!" Blair yelled and kicked him in the shins as hard as she could in her open toed sandals.

Just then Eric appeared behind Jonathon. He had watched their interaction with concern and then approached as soon as he saw the stroller and Blair get grabbed. He took Jonathon by the shoulder and turned him quickly around, slamming his fist into Jonathon's nose. Blood sprayed everywhere as the bone shattered in Jonathon's once pretty face. The smaller boy had quite the hit, Blair thought.

But Jonathon wasn't going to let it go. He let go of the stroller and began throttling on the younger boy, happy to have someone to take his frustrations out on.

Blair pushed the stroller to a safe distance and yelled for Serena to watch Charlotte. She ran back to where Eric was being horribly kicked on the ground and she jumped on Jonathon's back, gouging her fingers and nails into his face.

"Get off of him, you bastard!" she yelled.

By now there was a crowd gathering and Serena yelled for someone to call the police and to help break it up. A few guys intervened. One fellow pulled Blair off the now screaming Jonathon (who was frantically trying to remove the wildcat that was clinging to his back.) A couple of others grabbed Jonathon and forced him to the ground, restraining him until the police could take him away and charge him.

Of course Gossip Girl had been alerted from one or more of the onlookers. Photos of a beautiful, but almost feral looking Blair attacking the blood-covered Jonathon quickly made its way across New York.

Chuck, who was sitting in on a financial meeting at Bass Industries, got interrupted by a secretary who thought he should see the posts. He had a fit and ran out of the building looking for the limo. Arthur took him to the police station. Chuck later visited Jonathon Grant in jail. It was all he could do to restrain himself from making good on his promise and kill him right then and there. (He had to laugh later, however, when he recalled the mess that both Eric and Blair had made of his face!) He had then promised Jonathon that he would see him ripped him to shreds if he ever came near any of his family again. (In reality Chuck would have his people disassemble him and permanently dispose of those shredded pieces where they could never be found!) Jonathon Grant would never touch Blair or his children again.

Of course Eric was the unsung hero that day for coming to Blair's rescue, and Blair, unfortunately, became the butt of everyone's jokes for the next few days. Even Chuck couldn't resist making a few comments. After all he'd always liked her feral side!

**XOXO**

When Jenny Humphrey was hit by a speeding taxi later that same week, Chuck decided he did not want his young family living in the city. (Sorry but in my stories Jenny will never get a chance to fuck Chuck!) Nate and Serena were in full agreement. Despite each of them being raised there, the thought of them raising small children in the city was appalling to them after the serenity of the island. Both couples began looking for alternatives within reasonable commuting distances to New York City. They found some more rural types of estate communities that seemed to offer a healthier environment to raise small children in.

But neither Serena nor Blair was happy with that, either. They wanted even more of a remote location where the little ones would grow up with plenty of opportunity for safe outdoor play and adventure. Chuck finally located a large farm that bordered on state parkland. It was perfect.

The property had a large estate house and a couple of smaller guest houses and was a productive farm. It was secluded and quiet, and with the protected park beside it, it had lots of healthy spaces for children to play and explore as they were growing up. There were fruit trees and a large garden on the grounds as well as a large barn and several outbuildings. It was less than an hour's commute from the city, and with drivers, this wasn't a bad thing. Besides, having Wifi enabled both men to work occasionally from home as well, a bonus Chuck was grateful for. He desperately wanted to stay involved in his family's lives.

They decided everyone would share the estate house on the property while each of them had their own separate home built close to each other but further back on the property. This arrangement would be comforting to both couples who had grown use to each other's company over the past two years. Once their homes were completed and they could move in, Dorota and her boyfriend Vanya would then move into the main house. From there they would hire and manage any other staff they may need to maintain the property or work for the owners. It was a good setup.

**XOXO**

They had living there for a month when Chuck announced one Saturday afternoon that he had a surprise for Blair. He took her out to the barn and led her to a box stall. She looked up in surprise to see two familiar faces. The black goat recognised her mistress and baa'd at Blair in greeting at once.

"You brought me Ebony and Nanna!" She cried wrapping her arms around the small animals' necks!

"Yeah, I figured the boys seem to prefer goat milk and you seemed to miss them and didn't seem to mind milking them, so I had them flown over from the island," Chuck admitted. "Much to Nate's dismay!" he added with a chuckle. (Nate never did get the hang of the goats!) "They'll need to get used to the colder weather before we turn them loose though," he smirked, "or they'll be giving us ice cream instead of milk!"

Blair patted and stroked the small animals, enjoying the familiarity of their soft fur under her fingers. Just then she noted a whisk of orange fur fly by. It stopped at her feet and began to rub against her ankles. It was soon joined by its brother. "Oh Chuck," Blair smiled with tears now welling in her eyes, "you brought me my boys too!"

"I understand Aquilla and Allioth were really hard to catch," Chuck explained. "They had to set traps for them. If they recognise you, though, they'll probably settle in here quickly. They were given their shots and were neutered before they brought them out to the farm. I think they'll be happy here. There's lots of room to roam and there seems to be lots of creepy things out here for them to hunt."

Blair stood up to her husband and put her arms around his neck. "I love you, Chuck," she told him with a big smile and happy tears on her face. "Thank you so much for bringing them here."

"Well I know how much you were missing them." he beamed, happy he had thought about it. He loved to see her smile like that… it melted his heart.

A few days after the goats had arrived, Blair and Serena were out milking them when Serena's labour pains stated. The women made their way inside and Blair called Nate on his cell to let him know that things had started. They'd arranged a midwife to be on hand in case anythong went amuck, but they insisted on a home birth with only the NJBC and Serena's family involved in the process.

Alexander Archibald was born without error later that evening. Lily cried at the event, and was blown away at the strength her daughter showed at the birth. She tried to imagine just how frightened she must have been the first time on the island.

"Yeah, we were all pretty freaked out, but Blair did a great job with the delivery then too. The difference was it was a new experience for us. We only had a first aide book and a medical guide book for help. It was pretty scary!" Serena admitted. "This time was so much easier. Between us we have now delivered four babies. Blair is actually considering going to school to become an OBGYN when the kids are a bit older."

"Well she certainly seems to have a knack for it," Lily concurred.

**XOXO**

The winter progressed with the families both seeing their new houses completed. Though they spent the most part of each day together, the two oldest boys were not happy to be separated at night. In their eyes, they were bothers. The solution seemed to be to keep them together and let them alternate between houses at night. Chester was finally sleeping through the night now, so that was no longer a problem.

When spring came they celebrated the children's second birthday. Both boys were learning to talk and gave everyone hours of entertainment. Charlotte was starting to toddle and was proving to be just as active and intelligent as her brother was. Alex was now crawling and followed Charlotte everywhere. It seemed another bond was forming among the two youngest members of the group.

That spring the women planted a garden, and chickens were added to their collection, along with a milking cow. Dorota apparently didn't like goat milk…. she'd had too much of it as a child and preferred her milk from a cow. They had a blast teaching Dorota how to milk the jersey. Soon she was a natural.

In May, Nate proposed to Serena. They planned on getting married that summer back in Little Paradise. The couples would spend the summer there with their kids and the few invited guests that would be flown in for the wedding. Everyone was excited.

The wedding was fantastic It took place just in front of the falls by the pond near the lava tubes. The weather cooperated and everyone was blown away by the beauty of the island. Lily cried with happiness as the couple said their wedding vows in front of the preacher. They had a big party in the main cave house afterwards and that lasted for almost an entire week. When the guests finally left, the island returned to its usual peacefulness.

On the evening of their first anniversary, Chuck and Blair went for a romantic walk down the beach. He had a smile on his face that told her he was up to something. When she finally confronted him, he smirked and presented her with an envelope. Blair's jaw dropped when she saw the contents.

"You bought me the island, Chuck?" she questioned in disbelief.

"It took a lot of time and money," Chuck explained, "but I finally got it chartered and registered. Little paradise is now yours to do with as you please. Stacy's family wasn't happy about the sale, but I paid them for the contents of the cave houses and promised all of them, except for Jonathon, that they were welcome to come and visit their parents' graves at any time, as long as we get advance notice first."

"I don't quite know what to say, I'm so overwhelmed," she said as tears began to build up in her eyes.

"Well I know how much this place means to you and to us," Chuck expressed. "If it wasn't for being displaced on this island we may never have fixed our relationship, or had our children, or gotten married. I love my life now because of it and because of you," he admitted. "So happy anniversary, Blair, I love you," he said as he planted a soft kiss on her mouth. "Thank you for making me into the man I am today."

"I love you too, Chuck. If someone could have told me three years ago I would be married to you, living on a farm and milking goats for our two children I would have thought them crazy!" she admitted. "Both you and this place have changed me too. I love it here. It's a wonderful gift, Chuck. Our kids can spend their summers here while they are growing up and for as long as they like into adulthood. It can be our family tradition," she told him as she leaned into him for another kiss while her arms reached around to cup his bum. "Now, let's go to bed so I can thank you properly," she purred.

"I love the sound of that," he admitted and he took her hand and headed back to the cave house for the evening.

**XOXO**

FINI

**A/N**: Thank you for reading my story. Please leave a review so I know the story is still being read and I am not tempted to pull it. Final thoughts/ comments are really appreciated.


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